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ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH, 


IJfCLUDI^TG 


AN  ACCOUNT   OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  EXPERIENCE  OF  SOME  OF  THE 

CONVERTS  FROM   POPERT   AND   INFIDELITY,   AS 

FURNISHED   BY   THEMSELVES. 


i 


REV.   ADAM    MILLER, 

GERMAN  MISSIONARY. 


0(  Or  W^^^ 
(*      DEC  26  1911 

PUBLISHED   BY   J.  F.   WRIGHT  AND  L.   SWORMSTEDT, 

For  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  at  the  Book  Concern, 
311  Main-street. 


R.  P.  TTionipson,  Printer. 
1843. 


Entered  according  to  an  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1843, 
by  J.  F.  Wright  and  L.  Swormstedt,  in  the  Clerk's  Office  for 
the  District  Court  of  Ohio. 


PREFACE. 


In  arranging  the  materials  for  the  present 
work,  the  author  has  done  the  best  he  could, 
for  the  limited  time  allowed  him  from  his 
ministerial  and  other  pressing  engagements. 
Whether  it  should  be  favorably  or  unfavorably 
received  by  the  Christian  public,  he  will  have 
the  satisfaction  of  having  discharged,  what, 
after  due  reflection,  he  deemed  a  duty — that  of 
snatching  from  oblivion  some  important  facts 
calculated  to  strengthen  the  hands  and  encour- 
age the  hearts  of  the  friends  of  missions. 

When  our  German  missions  were  commen- 
ced, we  had  but  one  solitary  missionary  in  the 
field.  Some  of  our  brethren  were  in  favor  of 
giving  up  this  small  beginning  ;  and  concluded 
that  our  operations  and  success  could  be  but 
very  limited.  Others,  again,  appeared  to  be 
confident  that  new  fields  of  usefulness  would 
open,  and  that  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  would 
convert  and  send  forth  men  competent  to  the 
work.  And  such,  to  a  wonderful  extent,  has 
been  the  result.  Some  of  the  very  first  Ger- 
man converts  in  Cincinnati,  and  other  places, 
have  become  devoted  and  successful  missiona- 
ries. Several  ministers,  too,  who  had  previous- 
ly been  preaching  in  English,  thought  that  a 
larger  sphere  of  operations  presented  itself  in 

3 


the  German  work,  and  entered  accordingly. 
In  this  way  the  cause  has  been  gradually  in- 
creased ;  and,  from  present  indications,  we  may 
safely  say,  we  have  but  just  entered  on  the 
threshold.  Much,  under  the  blessing  of  God, 
is  destined  yet  to  be  accomplished. 

It  may  indeed  be  thought  out  of  the  ordinary 
course,  to  publish  a  history  of  these  missions 
at  this  early  period  of  their  existence.  But 
when  we  look  at  the  extraordinary  work  of 
grace  which  has  been  wrought,  and  at  what  re- 
mains to  be  done  ere  the  thousands  of  our  Ger- 
man population  are  brought  under  the  influence 
of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  we  deem  it,  as  before 
remarked,  our  duty  to  give  these  accounts  to 
the  Christian  public,  in  order  to  excite  them  to 
greater  diligence  and  zeal  in  this  glorious  cause. 

There  are  many  persons  who,  although  they 
have  frequently  read  of  German  missions,  in 
detached  and  scattered  fragments,  yet  have  very 
incorrect  views  of  their  general  character  and 
importance ;  and  who  frequently  ask  the  ques- 
tion, "  Can  any  thing  be  done,  on  an  extensive 
scale,  for  the  Roman  Catholic  and  infidel  Ger- 
mans?" or,  "Are  many  of  them  converted 
under  the  labors  of  our  missionaries?"  Such 
questions  will  be  answered  in  the  following 
pages. 

That  the  blessing  of  the  great  Head  of  the 
Church  may  accompany  the  perusal  of  the  fol- 
lowing pages,  is  the  author's  sincere  prayer. 

Adam  Miller. 

Cincmnati,  0.,  July,  1843. 


CONTENTS 


Preface Page  3 

IXTHODUCTIOX 7 

CHAPTER   I. 
Observations  on  Germany 11 

CHAPTER   II. 
Immigration  of  Germans  to  America 13 

CHAPTER    III. 
Commencement  of  German  missions 15 

CHAPTER    IV. 
Progress  of  the  work  during  the  first  year  in  Cin- 
cinnati  26 

CHAPTER   V. 

Establishment   of    a   German  mission  within  the 
bounds  of  Columbus  district,  Ohio  conference 31 

CHAPTER   VI. 

Re-appointment  of  a  missionary  at  Cincinnati,  and 
commencement  of  the  Christian  Apologist 40 

CHAPTER    VII. 
Rev.  Peter  Schmucker's  first  appointment  to  Cin- 
cinnati, 183S,  and  the  establishment  of  the  mis- 
sion at  Pittsburg 81 

CHAPTER   \T[II. 

Establishment  of  German  missions  in  1839 — com- 
mencement of  the  German  mission  at  Wheeling  •••86 
5  1* 


6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IX. 
State  of  the  German  mission  in  1840 Page  96 

CHAPTER  X. 
New  missions  established  in  the  year  1841 118 

CHAPTER  XI. 
State  of  the  work  in  1843 131 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Religious  Experience 135 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Otterbein  and  other  Methodistic  Germans 234 


INTRODUCTION 


The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  has  been 
decidedly  missionary  in  her  character  and  oper- 
ations through  every  period  of  her  history; 
and  while  it  has  been  the  constant  aim  of  her 
ministers  to  obey  the  injunction  of  the  Savior, 
"  Go  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel 
to  every  creatiu-e,"  they  have  uniformly  de- 
pended on  the  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit  for 
the  accomplishment  of  their  great  object — the 
diffusion  of  "  Scriptural  holiness  over  these 
lands."  Encouraged  by  the  declaration  of  the 
great  Head  of  the  Church  to  his  disciples, 
"  Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,"  these  self-deny- 
ing and  holy  men  have  gone  to  "  distant,  bar- 
barous climes,"  to  publish  "glad  tidings  of 
great  joy"  to  those  who  are  "perishing  for 
lack  of  knowledge."  Many  of  her  early  mis- 
sionaries, whose  memories  we  should  cherish 
with  veneration,  have,  after  successive  years 
of  industrious  toil,  and  a  noble  sacrifice  of  the 
interests  of  this  world,  fallen  at  their  posts; 
and  are  now  reaping  the  reward  of  their  labors 
in  the  Church  triumphant.  But  notwithstand- 
ing this,  the  missionary  spirit  continues  to  live 
*in  our  Church.  The  venerable  M'Kendree, 
while,  by  an  eye  of  faith,  he  viewed  the  prom- 

7 


8  INTRODUCTION. 

ised  rest,  looked  also  on  the  marshaled  host 
following  in  the  rear,  and  exclaimed  with  his 
departing  breath,  "  All  is  well." 

It  is  to  her  missionary  character  that  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  under  God,  owes 
her  widely  extended,  and  still  extending,  influ- 
ence. Her  sphere  of  operation  has  not  been 
confined  within  the  borders  of  civilization. 
Some  of  her  ministers  have  gone  to  proclaim 
the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God  to  the  untu- 
tored Indian  in  his  wigwam,  and  others  to  the 
shores  of  injured,  insulted,  and  long  neglected 
Africa,  offering  precisely  the  same  Gospel  to 
the  sons  of  Ham. 

While  these  missionaries  were  laboring  in 
distant  fields,  supported  by  the  prayers  and 
contributions  of  their  Christian  friends  at  home, 
the  Church,  watching  the  openings  of  Provi- 
dence, so  as  to  be  able  to  make  farther  advances 
into  the  territories  of  moral  darkness,  beheld 
the  situation  of  the  thousands  of  Germans  who 
annually  come  to  seek  a  home  for  themselves 
and  their  families  in  this  land  of  freedom.  She 
saw  the  hand  of  an  all-wise  Providence  open- 
ing the  way;  and,  following  this  opening,  she 
sent  her  servants  to  preach  to  this  people  in 
their  own  native  language,  to  invite  them  to 
come  and  partake  of  a  full  and  free  salvation 
by  faith  in  the  atonement  of  Christ.  Numbers 
have  already  heard  and  obeyed  the  invitation  ; 
and,  with  humble  joy,  they  now  can  testify 
that  "Christ  has  power  on  earth  to  forgive 
sins;"  and  that  they  have  "found  redemption 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

in  his  blood,  even  the  forgiveness  of  their  sins." 
Among  those  who  have  thus  been  brought  to  a 
saving  knowledge  of  the  truth,  are  numbers 
who  were  Roman  Catholics ;  and  instead  of 
counting  their  beads,  instead  of  paying  a  con- 
siderable part  of  their  income  to  be  saved  from 
purgatory  or  to  have  their  time  therein  short- 
ened, instead  of  calling  upon  departed  saints 
to  pray  for  them,  they  now  come  directly  to  a 
throne  of  grace,  in  the  name  and  through  the 
merits  of  Jesus  Christ ;  and  in  this,  the  only 
right  way,  find  "peace,  and  righteousness,  and 
joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost." 

In  the  following  pages  the  opportunity  is 
afforded  to  some  of  our  German  Methodists  of 
testifying  to  their  English  brethren,  who  have 
taken  such  a  deep  interest  in  their  welfare,  that 
the  Gospel  of  Christ  to  them  has  been  "  the 
power  of  God  unto  salvation."  The  writer 
has  often  been  delighted  and  edified  in  listening 
to  the  religious  experience  of  our  German  breth- 
ren in  love  feast  and  class  meeting ;  and  he 
thinks  that  others  would  be  equally  delighted 
and  edified  to  learn  the  "  reason  of  the  hope 
which  is  in  them." 


ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS       • 

OF 

THE     GERMAN     MISSIONS 


CHAPTER  I. 

OBSERVATIONS     ON     GERMANY. 

In  a  history  of  our  German  missions  in  this 
country,  it  may  be  proper,  in  the  commence- 
ment, to  say  a  few  things  in  reference  to  Ger- 
many itself.  It  is  situated  in  the  heart  of 
Europe,  and  includes  a  large  territory  of  coun- 
try, extending  from  the  Baltic  Sea  to  the  Alps, 
and  from  the  borders  of  Holland  almost  to  the 
Turkish  dominions.  In  this  vast  extent  of 
country  one  common  language  is  spoken,  prop- 
erly called  the  German.  There  is,  however, 
a  considerable  difference  of  dialect  in  the  differ- 
ent states,  or  provinces  of  Germany ;  and  this 
difference  is  much  greater  than  is  generally 
found  among  the  American  or  foreign  English. 
This  may  be  accounted  for  from  the  fact  that 
the  Germans,  in  their  own  country,  have  not 
contracted  those  migratory  habits  which  char- 
acterize the  people  of  this  country — their  civil 
regulations  raising  many  barriers  to  their  emi- 
gration from  one  part  of  the  countiy  to  another. 

11 


12  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

I  Hence  most  of  them  are  brought  up  in  the 
!  immediate  neighborhood  in  which  they  are 
I  born,  and  live  to  old  age  without  so  much 
\  as  traveling  beyond  the  borders  of  their  own 
■;  State.  This  is  especially  the  case  with  the 
peasantry  of  Germany.  Mechanics,  however, 
generally  travel  to  perfect  themselves  in  their 
profession,  yet  uniformly  retain  the  dialects 
of  their  respective  provinces.  Owing  to  these 
circumstances,  the  German  language  has  be- 
come greatly  corrupted  among  many  of  the 
uneducated  class  of  community.  Provincial- 
isms have  crept  in,  or  have  descended  from 
the  original  Germans  which  prevailed  before 
the  language  arrived  at  its  present  grammatical 
accuracy.  The  language  of  the  pulpit,  the 
bar,  and  the  schools,  however,  is  the  same 
throughout  all  Germany  ;  and  continual  efforts 
are  made  to  introduce  a  uniformity  into  the  lan- 
guage by  instructing  the  youth  at  school  in 
pure  German.  There  is  a  great  difference  be- 
tween the  German  and  the  Dutch  languages. 
They  are,  in  fact,  two  different  and  entirely 
distinct  languages.  The  former  is  spoken  in 
Germany,  and  the  latter  in  Holland.  This  is 
a  distinction  not  generally  known  in  this 
country.  All  Germans,  by  most  people,  are 
called  German  or  Dutch  indiscriminately ;  while 
there  is  in  reality  as  much  difference  between 
German  and  Dutch  as  between  German  and 
English. 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  13 

CHAPTER  II. 

IMMIGRATION     OF     GERMANS     TO 

AMERICA. 

The  tide  of  German  immigration  to  Amer- 
ica commenced  with  the  early  settlement  of  the 
New  World,  and  continued  with  a  ^adual  but 
small  increase  for  a  long'  time.  AVithin  a  few 
years  past,  however,  there  has  been  an  aston- 
ishing augmentation.  Thousands  on  thousands 
have  recently  come  to  seek  a  home  in  our 
country.  In  1842,  the  New  York  Sun  re- 
ported the  arrival  of  upward  of  fourteen  thou- 
sand German  immigrants  at  that  port  in  the 
short  space  of  a  few  months,  and  stated  that 
nearly  the  whole  of  them  without  delay  re- 
moved to  the  west  in  order  to  settle  down  on 
the  lands  purchased  by  them  in  the  new  states 
and  territories.  Numerous  extracts  might  be 
made  from  public  journals  containing  similar 
statements,  but  the  above  is  sufficient  to  show 
the  rapid  influx  of  the  Germans  into  our 
country. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  ascertain  the  precise 
number  of  Germans  in  the  western  states. 
Various  and  widely  differing  statements  have 
been  made,  some  undoubtedly  too  high,  while 
others  have  fallen  much  below  the  real  number. 
A  man  of  extensive  acquaintance  with  the  his- 
tory of  the  west,  estimates  the  German  inhab- 
itants in  Ohio  alone,  at  four  hundred  thousand. 
This  I  am  inclined  to  think  is  much  too  high. 
That  the  number  is  very  great,  however,  is 
2 


14  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

known  to  all  who  have  paid  any  attention  to 
the  subject.  In  some  parts  of  Ohio,  whole 
villages  have  sprung  up  within  a  few  years, 
composed  of  an  almost  entire  German  popula- 
tion. Here  they  have  their  own  schools,  and 
the  religious  services  are  likewise  all  perform- 
ed in  their  own  language.  By  this  means,  in 
these  places,  as  well  as  in  densely  populated 
German  settlements,  the  language  will  be  per- 
petuated to  generations  yet  to  come.  The 
great  majority  of  these  immigrants  are  of  the 
laboring  class,  whose  well  known  traits  of  char- 
acter are  industry  and  economy ;  consequently, 
a  large  proportion  of  them  are  not  only  tillers, 
but  actually  owners  of  the  soil.  The  oppres- 
sion which  they  have  endured  in  their  father- 
land, makes  some  of  them  the  more  sensi- 
ble of  the  privileges  they  enjoy  in  this,  their 
adopted  country,  and  leads  them  more  readily 
to  appreciate  the  blessings  of  our  free  institu- 
tions. Others  again  will  doubtless  abuse  their 
privileges  and  blessings.  Multitudes  of  them, 
not  having  been  permitted,  as  a  general  thing, 
to  read  the  Scriptures,  and  to  think  for  them- 
selves in  matters  of  religion,  are  enveloped  in 
that  thick  darkness  which  always  has  been,  and 
always  will  be,  the  result  of  the  Papal  system. 
Many  of  the  Protestants  are  Christians  only  in 
name.  The  great  truths  of  the  Gospel  have 
never  been  urged  upon  them.  Numbers  of  the 
clergy  in  the  old  country  are  themselves  stran- 
gers to  the  power  of  the  Gospel,  having  been 
brought  up  to  the  ministry  by  the  choice  of 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  15 

parents  or  guardians,  as  persons  are  brought  up 
to  the  other  professions,  merely  for  the  sake  of 
emohiment,  while  a  Divine  call  to  the  ministry 
is  lost  sight  of.  "Like  priests,  like  people," 
is  an  old  adage,  and  is  generally  a  true  one. 
There  are,  however,  evangelical  Gospel  minis- 
ters in  Germany,  who  stand  up  against  the 
darkness  and  corruptions  that  pervade  the  whole 
community ;  but  these  are  comparatively  "  few 
and  far  between." 


CHAPTER  III. 

COMMENCEMENT  OF  GERMAN  MISSIONS. 

Sometime  before  the  work  of  preaching  to 
the  Germans  in  their  own  language  was  com- 
menced by  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
the  necessity  and  importance  of  it  were  seen 
and  felt  by  some,  who  freely  expressed  their 
opinions  on  the  subject.  In  the  year  1835, 
when  the  Rev.  Thos.  A.  Morris,  now  Bishop 
Morris,  was  editor  of  the  Western  Christian 
Advocate,  a  letter  was  addressed  to  him,  under 
date  of  March  9th,  1835,  in  which  some  refer- 
ence was  made  to  the  spiritual  destitution  of 
many  of  the  Germans,  and  the  importance  of 
preaching  to  them  in  their  own  language.  The 
writer  of  the  letter,  having  had  a  knowledge 
of  the  German  language  from  childhood,  though 
by  that  time  having  forgotten  a  great  part  of  it, 
declared  his  willingness  to  abandon  some  other 


16  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

favorite  studies,  and  devote  himself  wholly  to 
the  study  of  the  German  ;  and  expressed  a 
readiness  to  go  to  any  field  of  German  labor  to 
which  the  Church  might  call  him.  In  an  arti- 
cle, referring  to  this  letter,  the  editor  makes 
the  following  remarks : 

"The  German  immigrants  are  becoming  nu- 
merous at  several  prominent  points  in  the  west, 
and  will  probably  continue  to  increase  for  years 
to  come.  From  their  general  habits  of  indus- 
try and  simple  modes  of  living,  they  will  pro- 
bably enjoy  good  health,  and  be  a  very  fruitful 
race,  and  accumulate  much  wealth,  in  this  land 
of  peace  and  plenty.  Most  of  them  are  said 
to  be  Papists  either  by  profession  or  education. 
Those  who  belong  to  the  Lutheran  or  other 
Protestant  sects,  finding  little  or  no  provision 
for  their  religious  instructions  here,  except  in 
English,  which  they  do  not  understand  much, 
and  love  less,  are  naturally  led  from  the  relig- 
ion of  their  fathers,  to  seek  places  to  worship 
among  those  speaking  their  own  dialect.  Many 
Christians  feel  concerned  for  the  spiritual  wel- 
fare of  these  strangers  in  a  strange  land,  and 
ask  the  question,  What  can  be  done  for  the 
Germans  among  us  ?  The  plan  too  generally 
pursued  does  not  appear  to  answer  the  purpose. 
The  Protestants,  who  ought  to  be  actively  em- 
ployed, by  every  suitable  means,  to  bring  these 
strangers  and  sojourners  among  us  to  the  saving 
knowledge  of  the  truth,  seem  to  be  too  well 
content  Avith  standing  off,  complaining  of  '  His 
Holiness,  the  Pope,'  for  sending  them  over  to 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  17 

US,  and  trying  to  excite  alarm  by  vociferating, 
*  Foreign  conspiracy,'  '  Inquisition,'  '  Mother 
of  harlots,'  &c.  And  while  all  this  well-meant, 
but  fruidess  outcry  is  going  on,  the  Papists  are 
laying  a  foundation  deep  and  broad  enough  to 
secure  and  perpetuate  a  general  influence  over 
them  and  their  children,  by  simply  providing 
for  them  the  means  of  religious  worship  (such 
as  it  is)  in  their  own  language.  Who  does  not 
see,  that  in  this  they  are  wiser  than  tlieir  Pro- 
testant neighbors  ? 

"  But  what  can  be  done  toward  saving  the  Ger- 
man immigrant?  On  this  subject  our  opinion 
has  been  for  sometime  made  up,  which  we  will 
venture  to  express  in  few  words.  We  ought 
to  go  to  work  and  aim  to  excel  our  '  Catholic 
neighbors'  in  every  good  work;  but  especially, 
we  should  supply  the  Germans  with  Bibles, 
tracts,  Sunday  schools,  and  a  preached  Gospel, 
in  their  own  language.  This  would  be  a  much 
more  successful  method  of  leading  them  from 
Popery  to  the  saving  knowledge  of  the  truth, 
than  that  of  newspaper  war  with  the  Jesuits. 

"This  subject,  on  which  we  have  often  re- 
flected before,  was  called  afresh  recendy  by 
reading  a  letter  from  one  of  our  young  preach- 
ers of  German  descent,  who  thinks  it  his  duty, 
for  the  present,  to  study  English  and  German, 
rather  than  Latin  and  Greek.  We  approve  his 
decision  ;  for  though  it  is  highly  commendable 
in  our  young  ministers  who  can,  to  study  the 
dead  languages,  the  knowledge  of  English, 
2* 


18v  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS    OF 

German,  and  French,  promises  much  more  im- 
mediate usefulness  in  our  country." 

From  the  above  it  will  be  seen,  that  this  sub- 
ject was  viewed  as  one  of  great  importance. 
But,  at  this  time,  the  question.  Where  shall  we 
get  a  suitable  man  to  engage  in  this  work  ?  re- 
mained unanswered.  The  young  man  above 
referred  to,  for  want  of  reading  and  practice  in 
speaking,  was  not  yet  prepared ;  and  no  other 
one,  in  the  west,  was  known  of,  as  adequate  to 
the  task. 

It  may  be  proper  here  to  observe,  that  at  the 
conference  in  Cincinnati  in  the  autumn  of  1833, 
the  subject  of  a  mission  to  the  Germans  in 
Cincinnati  was  strongly  talked  of  by  the  Book 
Agents,  the  Rev.  Messrs.  C.  HoUiday  and  J. 
F.  Wright;  and  if  a  suitable  man  could  then 
have  been  obtained,  it  is  probable  a  commence- 
ment would  have  been  made. 

During  the  year  1835,  Mr.  Wm.  Nast,  now 
favorably  known  as  the  editor  of  the  Christian 
Apologist,  was  converted  to  God,  after  having 
passed  through  a  long  struggle  with  unbelief, 
and  many  doubts  and  fears.  The  writer  hav- 
ing been  acquainted  with  him  previous  to  his 
conversion,  and  learning  his  deep  mental  gloom 
and  anxiety,  while  under  the  awakening  influ- 
ence of  the  Spirit  of  God,  could  but  feel  a  deep 
interest  in  his  welfare,  and  hope  that  the  great 
Head  of  the  Church  would  lead  him  in  a  way 
he  had  not  known,  and  make  him  an  instrument 
in  his  hands  of  much  good  to  his  countrymen. 
When  his   conversion   took  place,  of  course 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  19 

those  hopes >  were  strengthened;  and,  blessed 
be  God,  since  then  have  been  fully  realized. 

Mr.  Nast  having  had  the  advantages  of  a 
good  university  education  in  his  own  country, 
was,  in  the  year  of  his  conversion,  licensed  as 
a  local  preacher  in  our  Church,  and  immediate- 
ly commenced  his  ministerial  work. 

A  short  time  before  the  session  of  the  Ohio 
conference,  which  was  held  in  Springfield, 
O.,  August  19th,  1835,  a  letter  was  pub- 
lished in  the  Western  Christian  Advocate,  over 
the  signature  of  John  Glanville,  of  St.  Louis 
county,  Mo.,  of  which  the  following  is  an  ex- 
tract: 

"  Dear  Brother  Morris, — Your  mention- 
ing some  weeks  since  the  interest  you  felt  in 
the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  German  immigrants 
in  the  west,  and  the  letter  you  inserted  over  the 
initials  of  '  A.  M.,'  induce  me  to  request  you 
to  use  your  influence  to  get  some  one  or  more 
preachers  of  that  description  transferred  to  this 
conference.  We  have  vast  numbers  of  Ger- 
mans in  this  and  some  of  the  adjoining  coun- 
ties. Many  of  them  are  Protestants,  and  all 
are  sheep  without  a  shepherd.  They  cannot 
understand  our  preaching,  nor  do  they  like 
to  attend  our  meetings ;  but  any  thing  in 
German  will  call  their  attention.  Could  we 
have  a  German  missionary  here,  I  am  satisfied 
good  would  be  done  among  them." 

In  reference  to  this  letter,  the  editor  made 
the  following  remarks : 

"  German  missionaries  are  much  needed,  not 


20  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

only  in  Missouri,  but  in  Cincinnati  and  various 
Other  parts  of  the  western  country.  The  Ger- 
mans desire  something  done;  our  people  are 
willing,  yea,  anxious,  to  support  such  missions : 
our  General  Superintendents,  we  are  sure,  feel 
every  disposition  to  act:  God  is  willing  to 
crown  the  effort  with  success  ;  and  now  is  the 
time  to  strike.  We  have  waited  long  enough, 
too  long,  for  Providence  to  do  the  work  with- 
out any  co-operation  on  the  part  of  the  Church. 
The  only  difficulty  which  appears  to  us,  is  in 
the  obtaining  men  of  the  peculiar  qualifications 
necessary  for  the  work:  they  must  not  only 
possess  deep  piety,  a  sound  understanding  of 
the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  spirit  of 
sacrifice  in  common  with  their  brethren,  but 
must  be  able  to  speak  the  German  language 
fluently.  There  are,  doubtless,  a  few  min- 
isters of  our  order  who  can  speak  it  with  suffi- 
cient plainness  to  be  understood ;  and  if  the 
work  be  only  commenced  in  good  earnest,  the 
Lord  will  raise  up  young  Germans  to  carry  it 
on  with  success.  Is  it  not,  at  least,  our  duty  to 
make  the  effort?  To  this  question  thousands 
of  pious  hearts  will  respond  an  affirmative 
answer." 

From  the  following  pages  the  reader  will 
learn  that  the  above  predictions  were  not  fanci- 
ful speculations  indulged  in  from  a  momentary 
impression ;  but  that  they  were  uttered  as  the 
result  of  mature  reflection,  and  that  they  have 
literally  been  fulfilled. 

At  the  Ohio  conference  of  1835,  the  Rev. 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  21 

Wm.  Nast  came  recommended  from  Mt.  Ver- 
non circuit,  as  a  suitable  person  to  be  received 
into  the  itinerant  connection,  and  was  accord- 
ingly received,  and,  for  the  year,  appointed 
missionary  to  the  Germans  of  Cincinnati.  This 
was  the  first  regular  appointment  of  the  charac- 
ter alluded  to  our  Church  ever  made.  Brother 
Nast  arrived  at  his  post  and  commenced  his 
labors  about  tlie  middle  of  September.  In  his 
commencement  he  met  with  many  discourage- 
ments, arising  from  various  sources.  It  may  be 
proper  here  to  mention  some  of  the  difficulties 
with  which  he  had  to  contend ;  and  by  which 
his  want  of  success,  to  the  extent  that  was  an- 
ticipated by  the  friends  of  the  enterprise,  may 
be  accounted  for.  They  are  noticed  not  only 
as  historical  facts ;  but  also  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  that  commencements,  apparently  un- 
successful, in  matters  of  religion,  often  prove  em- 
inently prosperous  when  we  are  fully  brought  to 
realize  our  own  inefficiency,  and  consequently 
that  we  should  not  hastily  abandon  a  good 
work  because  we  do  not  meet  with  immediate 
great  success. 

Brother  Nast,  though  a  native  German,  had 
spent  seven  or  eight  years  previous  to  his  enter- 
ing the  ministry  among  the  English.  During 
a  great  part  of  this  time,  he  was  engaged  as 
Professor  of  Ancient  Languages  in  a  college, 
and  of  course  had  very  little  occasion  to  use 
his  native  language.  This  want  of  practice, 
for  so  long  a  time,  made  it  difficult  for  him  in 


22  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

the  commencement  of  his  work  to  preach  in 
his  mother  tongue. 

Moreover  this  was  his  first  year  in  the  min- 
istry ;  and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  he  lacked  the 
experience  which  is  so  essential  to  ministerial 
success.  The  mentioning  of  this  cannot  be 
viewed  as  undervaluing  the  talents  and  zeal  of 
our  first  German  missionary ;  for  all  are  aware 
that  some  of  the  qualifications  requisite  for  the 
ministerial  work  can  only  be  obtained  by  per- 
sonal observations  and  forming  an  extensive 
acquaintance  religiously  with  men  and  things. 

There  was  also  found  to  be  great  opposition 
to  the  undertaking  amongst  the  Germans  them- 
selves. A  spirit  of  persecution  arose,  which, 
had  it  not  been  for  the  excellent  laws  of  our 
country  that  guaranty  to  all  persons  the  privi- 
lege of  worshiping  God  according  to  the  dic- 
tates of  their  own  conscience,  would  frequently 
have  broken  out  in  mob  violence. 

Amid  all  his  discouragements,  however,  the 
missionary  persevered  with  untiring  diligence. 
He  visited  from  house  to  house,  as  far  as  he 
could  gain  access  to  the  people.  And  after 
laboring  several  months,  under  the  embarrass- 
ments just  enumerated,  with  others  besides,  he 
made  a  report  to  the  Corresponding  Secretary 
of  the  Missionary  Society  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  from  which  we  take  the 
following  extract: — 

"I  arrived  at  my  post  on  the  15th  of  Sep- 
tember. On  taking  a  retrospective  view  of  the 
first  quarter  of  my   probationary   ministry,  I 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  23 

mourn  and  ti-emble,  when  I  reflect  on  what  I 
might  and  what  I  ought  to  have  done.  At  the 
same  time,  I  thank  and  praise  my  God,  that 
though  it  seemed  as  if  I  had  no  liberty  to  speak 
as  I  ought  to  speak,  yet  his  Spirit  found  way 
to  some  hearts.  One  young  German  rejoices 
in  the  pardon  of  his  sins,*  and  five  others  are 
desirous  to  be  taught  the  way  of  salvation. 
When  I  look  at  myself,  I  am  cast  down ;  but, 
blessed  be  God,  I  am  not  in  despair.  What 
should  I  fear,  while  power  is  given  me  to  be- 
lieve that  I  am  engaged  in  the  work  of  God. 
I  have  met  with  a  most  violent  opposition  from 
my  countrymen.  In  the  German  paper  printed 
in  this  city,  I  have  been  repeatedly  attacked  in 
the  spirit  of  the  most  bitter  contempt ;  but  it 
had  the  good  effect  of  drawing  out  a  congi'e- 
gation.  On  Sabbath  I  have  hitherto  preached 
only  in  the  evening,  pardy  from  the  want  of  a 
meeting-house,  and  partly  because  I  could  not 
expect  a  congregation  during  the  church  hours 
of  the  other  German  ministers.  But  I  made 
two  appointments  in  the  vicinity  of  Cincinnati, 
one  in  the  house  of  a  converted  Catholic.  My 
hearers  there  are  a  few  Catholic  families  that 
have  been  searching  the  Scriptures  for  some- 
time. I  feel  as  if  the  Lord  had  prepared  the 
way.  For  all  these  openings  of  a  kind  Provi- 
dence, I  desire  to  be  thankfid,  and  request  the 
people  of  God  in  their  prayers  to  remember 
the  German  mission  at  Cincinnati." 

*  This  young  man  in  a  few  years  became  a  preacher,  and  has 
ever  since  been  one  of  our  most  successful  German  missionaries. 


24  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

Here  we  see  the  dawn  of  a  glorious  work 
among  the  Germans,  which  has  gradually  in- 
creased, until  hundreds  have  already  been  made 
the  subjects  of  the  converting  grace  of  God; 
and  still  the  work  is  deepening  and  widening — 
spreading  east,  west,  north  and  south ;  and  the 
cry  is  heard  in  various  directions,  "  Send  us 
German  missionaries."  Prejudice  has  been 
removed  from  the  minds  of  many ;  and  they 
are  no  longer  satisfied  with  the  outward  forms 
of  religion,  but  wish  to  enjoy  it  in  all  its  life 
and  power.  Many  who  have  been  at  ease  in 
Zion,  and  who  have  had  a  name  to  live,  while 
they  were  dead,  have,  through  the  preaching  of 
our  missionaries,  been  brought  to  an  experi- 
mental knowledge  of  salvation.  Among  these 
are  some  who  were  brought  up  in  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  and  others  in  the  Lutheran 
and  German  Reformed  Churches.  Others, 
again,  have  come  to  us  from  the  ranks  of  open 
infidelity,  and  even  several  from  the  Jews. 
Many  of  them  have  indeed  been  brought  in  at 
the  eleventh  hour,  their  gray  hairs  and  trem- 
bling limbs  telling,  in  language  not  to  be  mis- 
understood, that  they  had  well  nigh  finished 
their  earthly  pilgrimage.  They  were  brought 
to  see  themselves  sinners,  and  sought  and  ob- 
tained the  pardon  of  their  sins.  Several  have 
already  died  in  the  triumphs  of  living  faith,  and 
have  gone  to  reap  their  glorious  reward  in  the 
"house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the 
heavens."  Many  heads  of  families  have  been 
converted,  and,  in  some  instances,  whole  house- 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  25 

holds,  including  husband,  wife  and  every  child 
old  enough  to  know  good  from  evil.  The 
writer  is  personally  acquainted  with  a  number 
of  such  families  ;  and  he  is  rejoiced  to  state  that 
in  some  cases,  the  husband,  who  was  formerly 
dissipated  and  intemperate,  disagreeable  and 
abasive  to  his  family,  has  now  erected  in  his 
domestic  circle  the  altar  of  devotion.  All  the 
members  of  the  family  li^^e  in  harmony,  and 
dwell  in  a  quiet  and  peaceful  habitation.  Instead 
of  contention  and  discord,  the  voice  of  prayer 
and  the  songs  of  praise  are  heard.  A  happy 
change,  indeed!  Many  will  thank  God  in 
time  and  in  eternity,  that  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  ever  sent  her  missionaries  among 
them. 

From  a  small  beginning  in  the  latter  end  of 
the  year  1835,  this  glorious  work  has  gradually 
spread;  and  now  we  have  a  missionary  in 
nearly  every  principal  town  and  city  in  the 
west,  in  which  the  German  population  is  nu- 
merous. Having  already  referred  to  the  origin 
of  this  work,  we  shall  now  notice  its  progress 
and  extension  up  to  the  present  time.  And 
while  we  record,  with  gratitude  to  the  great 
Head  of  the  Church,  the  revivals  of  religion 
among  the  native  Germans,  we  will  also  give 
an  account  of  the  personal  experience  of  some 
of  them,  by  which  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
effects  of  evangelical  conversion  are  the  same 
among  all  classes  of  men,  however  varied  their 
language,  education,  habits  and  prejudices. 

Of  hundreds  of  Germans  it  may  be  said, 
3 


26  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

that  they  who  were  once  not  a  people  are  now 
the  people  of  the  Lord.  They  have  been  led 
in  a  way  which  they  knew  not.  The  object 
of  many  of  them  in  immigrating-  to  America, 
was  the  accumulation  of  wealth — the  laying  up 
of  treasures  on  earth ;  but  now  they  have  found 
the  pearl  of  great  price,  and  are  endeavoring  to 
*'lay  up  treasures  in  heaven,  where  neither 
moth  nor  rust  doth  corrupt,  nor  thieves  break 
through  and  steal."  And  the  language  of  their 
glad  hearts  is,  "Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul, 
and  forget  not  all  his  benefits." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

PROGRESS    OF    THE    WORK     DURING    THE 
FIRST    YEAR     IN     CINCINNATI. 

At  the  end  of  the  second  quarter,  the  mis- 
sionary reported  nine  members  received,  and 
says,  "  These,  together  with  five  old  members 
of  the  Church,  who  lend  a  helping  hand,  make 
up  a  good  class.  Though  little  has  been  done, 
none  but  the  Lord  could  do  it ;  and  he  who  has 
commenced  the  good  work  is  able  to  carry  it 
on.  We  will  thank  him  for  what  he  has  done, 
and  trust  him  for  what  is  to  come ;  but  if  I 
should  not  succeed  in  winning  my  countrymen 
to  Christ,  I  would  beseech  my  brethren  not  to 
give  up  the  German  cause.  The  Germans, 
generally  speaking,  are  not  like  those  who  hear 
the  word,  and  anon,  with  joy  receive  it,  but 
having  no  root  in  themselves  endure  but  for  a 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  27 

while.  They  will  not  lay  their  hands  to  the 
Gospel  plough  until  they  have  fully  made  up 
their  minds."  With  this  little  band  the  mis- 
sionary continued  to  labor ;  and  some  of  those 
who  at  first  made  great  opposition,  now  began 
to  look  on  with  indifference. 

The  number  of  members  reported  on  the 
class-book  at  the  close  of  the  third  quarter,  was 
twelve.  These,  with  their  pastor,  Avere  looked 
on  with  disdain  by  their  enemies ;  yet  they 
were  firm  to  their  purpose,  offering  up  their 
daily  prayers  for  their  countrymen.  The  Gen- 
eral conference  was  in  session  at  this  time  in 
Cincinnati.  The  Corresponding  Secretary  of 
the  Missionary  Society  was  in  attendance  as  a 
delegate  ;  and  during  his  stay,  he  received  the 
missionary's  third  quarterly  report,  to  which 
he  made  the  following  preface,  which  was  pub- 
lished in  the  Western  Christian  Advocate : 
"  Cincinnati,  May  24,  1836. 

"Dear  Brother, — Since  my  arrival  in  this 
city,  I  have  received  the  following  communi- 
cation on  the  state  of  the  German  population 
in  this  country,  containing  also  suggestions  as 
to  the  best  means  of  doing  them  good.  The 
tide  of  immigration  which  is  setting  in  so 
strongly  from  Germany  to  this  country,  makes 
it  desirable  that  we  should  adopt  some  efiicient 
means  for  their  enlightenment  and  salvation. 
That  there  should  be  seven  thousand  German 
Roman  Catholics  in  the  city  of  Cincinnati,  and 
three  thousand  Protestants,  is  a  fact  which 
should  awaken  the  serious  inquiry  in  every  pious 


3o  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

mind,  '  What  shall  I  do  for  their  spiritual  bene- 
fit?' N.  Bangs." 

In  the  report  above  referred  to,  the  mission- 
ary, after  mentioning  the  disinclination  of  many 
of  the  Germans  to  attend  his  public  appoint- 
ments, says,  "  Under  such  circumstances,  my 
ministry  has  been  almost  wholly  confined  to 
visiting  from  house  to  house.  Such  a  work 
requires  a  combination  of  strong  faith,  lively 
hope,  and  ardent  love,  with  talent  and  expe- 
rience, in  each  of  which  I  feel  myself  very 
deficient.  Notwithstanding  this,  the  Lord  has 
bestowed  his  blessing,  which  is  more  than  all, 
upon  my  labor ;  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  if 
the  Church  continue  to  be  '  zealously  affected 
in  this  good  thing,'  of  bringing  wandering  for- 
eigners back  to  the  Bishop  and  Shepherd  of 
their  souls,  the  Lord  will  show  us,  by  greater 
manifestations  of  his  power  and  glory,  that  our 
labor  is  not  in  vain.  Since  my  arrival  here 
last  September,  about  twenty-three  Germans 
have  been  brought  under  awakening  influence ; 
eight  of  them  were  Roman  Catholics  ;  about 
ten  express  a  hope  of  heaven,  and  twelve  have 
their  names  on  the  class  paper.  But  it  is  as 
difficult  to  preserve,  as  to  raise  up  a  German 
branch  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  as 
none  of  our  doctrinal  and  devotional  books,  not 
even  our  Discipline,  are  to  be  found  in  the  Ger- 
man language." 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  above,  that  at  the 
earliest  period  of  our  operations  among  the 
Germans,  the  necessity  of  some  religious  pub- 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  29 

lications  was  seen  and  felt.  And  there  can  be 
no  doubt  but  that  much  of  the  success  which 
has  attended  our  efibrts,  under  the  blessmg  of 
God,  is  attributable  to  the  German  publications 
that  have  since  been  issued  from  our  own  press. 
The  religious  condition  of  the  Germans  is 
described,  in  the  report  above  referred  to,  in 
the  following  language  :  "  Gross  darkness  cov- 
ers the  minds  of  these  immigrants,  who  are 
soon  to  be,  in  a  most  emphatic  sense,  bone  of 
our  bone,  and  flesh  of  our  flesh.  The  major- 
ity of  them  are  led  captive  by  the  Romish 
priests,  and  most  of  the  Protestants  are  very 
far  from  believing  to  the  saving  of  their  souls 
Pelagianism,  and  even  simple  Deism,  has  been 
imposed  upon  them  under  the  name  of  Chris- 
tianity, by  the  Rationalistic  clergy  of  Germany. 
The  most  spiritual  and  comforting  doctrines  of 
our  holy  religion  have  been  flattened  into  a  mere 
system  of  outward  morality,  and  have  been 
embodied,  as  such,  in  catechisms  and  other 
school  books ;  so  that  the  poison  pervades  the 
whole  system.  About  three  successive  gener- 
ations have  been  brought  up,  not  with  the  '  sin- 
cere milk'  of  the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God, 
but  with  the  beggarly  elements  of  human  phi- 
losophy. The  writings  of  the  venerable  re- 
formers, as  well  as  the  old  hymn  books,  which 
are  calculated  to  difl'use  abroad  the  life  and 
power  of  religion,  are  nearly  out  of  print.  In- 
deed, the  German  divines  seldom  condescend 
to  give  to  the  famishing  multitude  popular  trea- 
tises on  theology.  Religion  is  rarely  presented 
3* 


30  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

to  the  unlearned,  other  than  as  a  dead  skeleton 
in  the  form  of  a  catechism.  Under  these  cir- 
cumstances, should  not  some  effort  be  made  by 
the  press  to  prepare  the  way  of  German  mis- 
sionaries ?  The  publication  of  a  condensed 
view  of  the  evidences  of  Christianity,  and  an 
introduction  to  the  holy  Scriptures,  such  as 
*,Watson's  Conversations'  and  '  Fletcher's  Ap- 
peal,' would  doubtless  produce  a  great  revolu- 
tion." 

We  shall  see  in  the  progress  of  this  history, 
that  the  above  suggestions  were  not  vague  and 
idle  speculations ;  but  that  the  hopes  which 
were  then  entertained  with  regard  to  what  might 
be  done  through  the  instrumentality  of  German 
publications,  have  since  been  realized  to  an  en- 
couraging extent. 

Brother  Nast  continued  his  labors  with  una- 
bating  zeal  to  the  close  of  the  conference  year ; 
and  while  many  refused  to  hear  him  in  public, 
he  hesitated  not  to  go  to  their  houses ;  and 
wherever  he  could  find  a  few  Germans  togeth- 
er, he  fearlessly  proclaimed  to  them  the  un- 
searchable riches  of  Christ.  No  calumnies 
nor  persecutions  from  his  enemies  could  damp 
the  ardor  of  his  soul,  for  it  burned  with  holy 
zeal  for  the  salvation  of  his  countrymen. 

During  the  year,  he  also  visited  several  points 
in  the  country  some  distance  from  the  city,  and 
preached  to  the  German  congregations  wherever 
they  could  be  collected.  Those  who  are  in 
the  least  acquainted  with  the  character  of  the 
Germans,  and  especially  the  firmness  of  their 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  31 

purpose  in  religious  matters,  be  those  matters 
right  or  wrong,  will  not  be  astonished  to  learn 
that  it  was  an  exceedino;ly  difficult  matter  to  in- 
troduce Methodism  among  them.  It  was  some- 
thing entirely  new  for  Germans  in  this  country 
to  hear  a  Methodist  minister  preach ;  and  in 
many  instances,  self-interested  and  malicious 
persons  spared  no  pains  to  prejudice  the  minds 
of  such  as  might  otherwise  have  been  open  to 
conviction. 

When  all  these  things  are  taken  into  consid- 
eration, we  may  view  the  labors  of  the  first 
year,  as  a  triumph  over  prejudice,  and  as  a  pre- 
paration of  the  way  for  future  success.  We 
have  reason  to  believe  that  many  were  awaken- 
ed during  the  year,  who  never  came  under  the 
notice  of  the  missionary.  We  have,  in  fact, 
heard  of  some,  who,  having  since  become 
converted,  say  that  they  received  their  first 
serious  impressions  while  standing  at  the  door 
of  the  church,  or  outside  the  windows,  fearing 
to  go  into  the  house  while  brother  Nast  was 
preaching. 


CHAPTER  V. 

ESTABLISHMENT  OF  A  GERMAN  MIS- 
SION IN  THE  BOUNDS  OF  COLUMBUS 
DISTRICT,    OHIO    CONFERENCE. 

In  the  autmnn  of  1836,  brother  Nast  was 
appointed  missionary  to  the  Germans  within 
the  bounds  of  the  Columbus  district,  Ohio  con- 


32  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

ference.  During  this  year,  he  traveled  several 
hundred  miles  over  a  large  extent  of  country, 
visiting  the  different  German  settlements  within 
the  bounds  of  his  circuit,  every  five  weeks. 
Though  the  number  of  conversions  this  year 
was  not  great,  yet  it  was  sufficiently  large  to 
encourage  him  to  hope  for  the  salvation  of 
many  of  his  countrymen.  Some  of  the  fruits 
of  this  year's  labor  remain  shining  lights  unto 
this  day.  After  having  regularly  laid  out  his 
work,  he  made  the  following  report,  which 
contains  a  list  of  his  appointments  : 

*'  Worthington,  O.,  Jan.  10,  1837. 
"  Dear  Brethren, — I  have  just  returned 
from  my  second  missionary  round.  Having 
been,  through  Divine  mercy,  saved  from  many 
seen  and  unseen  dangers,  and  finding  my  pros- 
pects of  doing  good,  far  better  than  they  were 
at  Cincinnati,  my  heart  is  filled  with  gratitude. 
Though  the  difficulties  with  which  I  have  to 
contend,  are  great  and  many,  I  hope  to  find 
verified  the  promise  given  to  the  Church  of 
Philadelphia :  '  I  know  thy  works  ;  behold,  I 
have  set  before  thee  an  open  door,  and  no  man 
can  shut  it — for  thou  hast  a  litde  strength  and 
hast  kept  my  word  and  hast  not  denied  my 
name.'  I  find  my  hands  often  tied  by  the 
strong  prejudices  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
against  our  name.  But  I  have  been  comforted, 
on  the  other  hand,  by  seeing,  in  several  instan- 
ces. Divine  Providence  open  my  way  in  a 
very  remarkable  manner.  I  found  access  to 
settlements  where  those   that   came   with  me 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  33 

over  the  sea,  and  others  with  whom  I  was  ac- 
quainted in  the  old  country,  live ;  and  I  hope 
the  practical  demonstration  of  what  the  ^ace 
of  God  effected  in  me,  will,  through  the  bles- 
sing of  Heaven,  not  be  lost  upon  their  souls. 
Though,  in  some  places,  my  countrymen  are 
kept  from  attending  my  preaching,  by  the 
combined  powers  of  superstition  and  infidelity, 
I  can  speak  of  a  Savior's  love  and  power  on 
the  road,  around  the  fireside,  and  at  the  sick 
bed.  My  circuit  is  now  formed.  I  travel  in 
five  weeks  through  an  extent  of  nearly  three 
hundred  miles,  and  have  about  twenty-two 
preaching  places.  Making  Columbus  my  first 
Sabbath  appointment,  I  go  through  several 
German  settlements  to  Basle,  on  the  canal ; 
from  there  to  Thornville,  where  I  spend  the 
second  Sabbath;  then  through  Newark,  Mt, 
Vernon,  to  Danville,  my  third  Sabbath  appoint- 
ment; from  Danville,  I  go  through  Loudon- 
ville,  Mansfield,  Gallion,  to  Bucyrus,  where  I 
preach  the  fourth  Sabbath ;  then  through  Ma- 
rion county,  which  is  thickly  settled  with  Ger- 
mans, to  a  German  settlement  near  Delaware, 
where  I  preach  the  fifth  Sabbath ;  and  return 
through  Delaware  and  Worthington,  to  Colum- 
bus. Feeling  painfully  the  need  of  help  from 
Zion,  I  beg  an  interest  in  the  prayers  of  the 
faithful,  for  the  German  mission. 

"  I  remain  yours  in  the  bonds  of  the  Gospel, 
William  Nast." 

As  we  at  this  time  had  only  one  German 
missionary,  and  as  Cincinnati  was  a  very  im- 


34  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

portant  point,  the  Germans  there  being  very 
numerous,  and  constantly  increasing  by  immi- 
gration, it  was  thought  best,  at  the  close  of  the 
year,  to  give  up  the  Columbus  mission  for 
Cincinnati.  Some  of  our  brethren,  indeed, 
Vi^ent  so  far  as  to  give  the  opinion,  that  as  the 
Germans  did  not  immediately  embrace  the 
Gospel  truths  which  were  delivered  to  them, 
it  would  be  better  to  abandon  the  undertaking 
entirely.  Brother  Nast,  however,  at  the  close 
of  the  year,  made  a  strong  plea  for  the  Ger- 
mans, before  the  conference,  of  which  the  fol- 
lowing is  an  extract.  After  some  prelimina- 
ries, he  said: 

"As  I  am  the  only  one  that  is  expected  to 
speak  for  the  Germans,  let  me  hope  that  my 
obscurity  will  not  act  as  a  prejudice  against  the 
cause  I  plead.  Upon  the  most  enlightened 
part  of  Germans,  a  mere  system  of  morality, 
without  Gospel  principles  and  motives,  has 
been  imposed  under  the  name  of  rational  Chris- 
tianity. Whilst  some  have  gathered  up  a  few 
of  these  moral  truths,  and  mean  to  go  to  heav- 
en by  the  merit  of  their  works,  the  multitude 
is  feeding  upon  the  husks  for  swine.  '  The 
original  rectitude  and  subsequent  depravity  of 
man,  the  incarnation  and  death  of  the  Son  of 
God  for  our  redemption,  a  free  justification  by 
the  grace  of  God,  a  regeneration  of  the  whole 
man,  consistent  with  universal  holiness,  enfor- 
ced on  the  ground  that  we  are  not  our  own,  but 
Christ's ;  the  supernatural  succors  of  the  Di- 
I  vine  Spirit,  and  the  commanding  doctrines  of 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  35 

eternal  judgment,'  are  things  of  which  the  vast 
majority  of  Germans  have  no  conception.  Be- 
ing accustomed  to  look  to  their  moral  preachers 
for  nothing  more  than  a  mere  beating  of  the 
air,  and  having  for  a  long  time  seen  the  clergy 
in  Germany  contradicting  the  Gospel  rule  by 
their  lives  and  characters,  they  lost  their  confi- 
dence in  the  Christian  ministry.  In  short,  the 
German  Church  and  nation  needs  as  great  a 
work  of  reformation  as  the  Church  of  England 
did  in  the  time  of  John  Wesley.  And  unless 
his  doctrine  bursts  in  floods  upon  the  German 
immigrants,  enlightening,  alarming  and  convert- 
ing them  by  hundreds  and  thousands,  and  ex- 
erting such  a  reaction  upon  Germany  that  the 
pulpits,  and  colleges,  and  universities,  and 
common  schools  will  all  feel  it,  there  is 
reason  to  fear  that  the  importation  of  German 
literature  and  German  people,  will  exercise  as 
demoralizing  an  influence  upon  the  Americans 
as  the  French  once  exercised  upon  the  Ger- 
mans. These  are  not  imaginary  apprehensions, 
brethren.  For  the  German  immigrants,  among 
whom  there  have  been  of  late,  many  well  edu- 
cated and  wealthy  men,  are  about  to  hold  yearly 
conventions,  in  order  to  perpetuate  the  German 
language  and  literature,  German  sentiments, 
manners  and  customs  ;  and  if  headed  by  some 
infidels,  they  will  form  themselves  into  a  party 
strongly  opposed  to  the  religious  observance  of 
the  Sabbath,  and  the  benevolent  institutions  of 
this  Gospel  favored  country. 

"  Let  me  then  come  to  a  conclusion,  by  brief- 


36  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS    OF 

1  ly  stating,  that  we  might  exercise  a  saving  in- 
fluence upon  the  Germans  through  the  press, 
I  by  pubhshing  in  the  German  language  some  of 
j  our  doctrinal  tracts,  the  Wesleyan  Catechism, 
i  Fletcher's  Appeal,  some  of  Wesley's  sermons, 
and,  as  soon  as  possible,  a  German  Methodist 
periodical.  As  reasons  for  publishing  the  lat- 
ter, I  would  only  mention,  that  the  Roman 
Catholics  publish  at  present  a  German  religious 
paper  at  Cincinnati,  and  that  nearly  all  the  po- 
litical papers  in  the  German  language  are  filled 
with  invectives  against  Christianity.  As  to  the 
other  works,  they  are  absolutely  needed,  if  the 
Germans  are  to  be  enlightened ;  for  the  sound 
religious  literature  of  Germany  consists  of 
purely  devotional  books,  of  too  large  a  size, 
and  written  mosdy  in  a  dry,  scholastic,  or  mys- 
tical style ;  and  I  know  of  no  German  work 
treating  of  the  evidences  of  Christianity,  and 
the  doctrines  of  the  Bible,  in  a  popular,  inter- 
esting, and  evangelical  manner.  That  they 
would  buy  and  read  them,  might  be  concluded 
from  the  fact,  that  I  saw  several  small  works, 
for  instance,  '  Merritt's  Christian  Manual',  and 
'  Lorenzo  Dow's  Chain  of  Reasoning,'  publish- 
ed by  booksellers,  though  in  a  miserable  trans- 
lation. If  private  individuals  undertake  it  for 
the  sake  of  making  money,  how  could  the 
Church  run  any  risk  in  doing  it  with  an  eye 
single  to  the  glory  of  God,  assisted  by  the  pa- 
ti'onage  of  perhaps  a  thousand  German  mem- 
bers within  her  pale,  and  by  the  agency  of  her 
itinerant  preachers  throughout  the  tJnion  ?    The 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  37 

spirited  support  of  the  traveling  connection,  in 
spreading  either  the  paper  or  the  other  publica- 
tions, would  of  course  be  indispensable  to  our 
success.  And  I  hope,  that  if  we  would  only 
attempt  the  work,  we  should  meet  with  more 
support  than  we  imagine.  A  few  weeks  ago 
I  was  requested,  through  the  Christian  Advo- 
cate and  Journal,  to  give  my  post  office  address 
to  a  brother  in  South  Carolina,  Avho  promises 
to  communicate  intelligence  of  advantage  with 
regard  to  the  German  publications,  which  I  pro- 
posed in  my  last  report  to  the  Corresponding 
Secretary  of  the  Missionary  Society.  But  it 
may  be  objected,  will  not  the  Albright  Church 
provide  for  the  wants  of  the  Germans  ?  I  an- 
swer, they  try  to  do  it  to  some  degree,  but  their 
resources  in  money  and  learning  are  limited ; 
their  arms  cannot,  at  present,  reach  as  far  as 
ours ;  they  are  yet  a  small  people,  and  princi- 
pally confined  to  the  country.  Though  it  might 
be  of  great  use  to  make  them  officially  acquaint- 
ed with  our  design,  in  order  to  invite  their  co- 
operation and  patronage,  prevent  any  feelings 
of  jealousy,  and  convince  diem  of  our  disinter- 
ested desire  to  lend  them  a  helping  hand  in 
spreading  the  Gospel  among  the  Germans.  For 
I  believe  it  would  be  highly  desirable  to  bring 
their  Church,  which  is  a  genuine  scion  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  into  cordial  fra- 
ternal relationship  with  ours. 

"Asking  your  indulgence  for  obtruding  so 
freely  my  views,  and  most  respectfully  submit- 
ting all  to  the  disposal  of  the  conference,  with 
4 


38  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

the  earnest  prayer,  that,  if  my  suggestions  are 
the  work  of  my  own  mind,  and  not  according 
to  the  mind  and  will  of  Divine  Providence,  the 
Lord  would  manifest  his  will  to  you ;  lest  the 
Church  should  be  involved  in  fruitless  expense, 
and  myself  in  the  inestimable  injury  of  my 
own  soul." 

The  preceding  remarks  were  published  in 
the  Western  Christian  Advocate,  to  which  the 
following  note  was  appended  by  brother  Nast: 

"Since  my  return  from  conference,  I  receiv- 
ed a  letter  from  the  above-mentioned  brother. 
Rev.  .T.  B.  Anthony,  of  the  South  Carolina 
conference,  an  extract  of  which  I  would  beg 
the  editors  to  insert  here : 

*' '  I  was  much  pleased  when  I  saw  your  ap- 
pointment to  the  German  people  in  Ohio ;  for 
I  knew  that  unless  they  were  more  spiritual 
than  they  are  in  the  Carolinas,  they  much  need- 
ed the  instructions  of  a  Methodist  minister. 
My  soul  has  long  felt  for  the  German  popula- 
tion, for  they  have  been  a  neglected  people, 
though  they  enjoy  the  outward  means  of  grace. 
I  would  be  very  sorry  should  the  mission  be 
discontinued.  But  to  the  matter  immediately - 
before  us  :  When  I  saw  your  report  in  the  Ad- 
vocate last  summer,  respecting  your  field  of 
labor,  and  your  wish  to  publish  some  of  our 
works  in  the  German  language,  or  to  publish 
a  German  Metliodist  paper,  I  determined 
(though  a  poor  Methodist  traveling  preacher) 
to  give  something  for  that  purpose,  if  the  work 
went  on.     I  immediately  made  inquiry  of  two 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  39 

Other  brethren  of  this  conference,  who  speak 
the  German  language,  and  we  agreed  to  give 
ten  dollars  each,  to  be  disposed  of  as  the  pub- 
lishers might  think  best.  If,  therefore,  you, 
or  another  brother,  should  undertake  to  publish 
a  German  Methodist  paper,  we  will  give  $30 ; 
or  if  you  determine  to  publish  Methodist  books, 
(which  probably  will  be  the  best  for  the  pres- 
ent,) we  will  take  at  least  $50  worth.  I  think 
if  our  brethren  in  the  Baltimore  and  Philadel- 
phia conferences  would  exert  themselves  a 
little,  they  might  do  a  good  deal  toward  pub- 
lishing our  books  in  the  German  tongue.  Cin- 
cinnati, I  suppose,  should  be  the  place  where 
our  publications  should  be  made,  so  as  to  get 
them  into  the  hands  of  the  immigTants  who  are 
settling  in  the  west.  When  I  saw  your  ap- 
pointment, I  was  very  strongly  moved  to  take 
a  transfer  to  that  conference.  It  is  true,  I  can 
preach  much  better  in  the  English  language 
than  in  the  German,  yet  I  expected  that  I  could 
be  more  useful  there,  by  visiting  them  and 
speaking  to  them  around  the  fire-side,  in  their 
mother  tongue.' 

"If  all  our  traveling  brethren  that  speak  the 
German  language,  Avould  volunteer  to  be  Ger- 
man missionaries,  we  could,  with  the  blessing 
of  God,  soon  form  German  circuits." 

As  some  suggestions  were  made  by  brother 
Nast  in  reference  to  German  publications,  a 
committee  of  three  was  appointed  by  the  con- 
ference to  take  the  matter  into  consideration, 
and  report  thereon.     The  committee  reported 


40  ORIGIN    AND   PROGRESS   OF 

that  it  was  not  expedient  to  enter  extensively 
into  German  publications  at  that  time,  but  re- 
commended the  publication  of  the  three  num- 
bers of  the  Wesley  an  Catechism,  our  Articles 
of  Faith,  and  the  General  Rules,  which  was  ac- 
cordingly soon  afterward  done. 


CHAPTER  Vr. 

RE-APPOINTMENT  OF  A  MISSIONARY  AT 
CINCINNATI,  AND  COMMENCEMENT 
OF    THE    CHRISTIAN    APOLOGIST. 

In  the  autumn  of  1837,  brother  Nast  was  re- 
appointed to  Cincinnati.  This  year  his  labors 
were  crowned  with  greater  success  than  they 
had  heretofore  been  ;  the  prejudices  against  him 
were  not  so  strong ;  his  hearers  gradually  in- 
creased, and  at  the  close  of  the  year,  a  consid- 
erable number  attended  on  his  ministry :  a  Sab- 
bath school,  composed  of  German  children, 
,  was  also  organized ;  and  at  the  ensuing  confer- 
ence, he  reported  twenty-six  members  in  so- 
ciety. 

During  this  year,  a  proposition  was  made  to 
raise  funds  for  publishing  a  religious  paper  in 
the  German  language,  which  was  subsequently 
carried  into  operation.  As  this  publication  has 
excited  considerable  attention,  and  as  we  have 
reason  to  believe  that  it  has  been  productive  of 
much  good,  it  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  no- 
tice its  origin  and  progress. 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  41 

The  proposition  for  publishing  this  paper, 
was  made  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Dunn,  of  the 
North  Ohio  conference,  through  the  medium 
of  the  Western  Christian  Advocate.  The  fol- 
lowing is  the  letter  containing  the  proposition: 
''  TFaynesburg,  0.,  Feb.  15,  1838. 

"  I  wish  to  remark,  that  there  are  a  number 
of  German  families  within  the  bounds  of  this 
circuit.  Some  individuals  among  them  have 
embraced  religion  and  joined  our  Church. 
While  looking  over  the  fields  already  ripe  for 
the  harvest  among  this  numerous  and  interest- 
ing people,  and  reading  some  things  in  the  Ad- 
vocate on  the  subject,  I  have  most  ardently  de- 
sired that  some  plan  might  be  adopted  to  instruct 
them  in  the  doctrines  and  discipline  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The  commence- 
ment of  this  Avork,  I  believe,  should  be  by  pub- 
lishing a  German  Christian  Advocate,  in  con- 
nection with  our  Establishment  at  Cincinnati. 
It  is  well  known  that  the  Germans  are  scattered 
throughout  our  work  in  every  direction.  Such 
a  paper,  freighted  with  Gospel  truth,  exti-acted 
from  our  standard  works,  could  be  thrown 
among  them  in  all  parts  of  the  country  by  our 
traveling  preachers ;  and  the  simple  fact  of  its 
coming  to  them  in  their  own  language,  would 
induce  them  to  read.  Their  minds  would  there- 
by be  enlightened,  their  prejudices  removed, 
and  as  many  of  them  as  cannot  read  English, 
would  learn  to  understand  it  so  as  to  be  edified 
under  our  ministry.  They  would  come  out  to 
hear  us  preach,  and  would  be  gathered  into  the 
4* 


42  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

Church.  Further,  I  am  confident  I  could  get 
a  number  of  subscribers  to  such  a  paper  in  the 
bounds  of  this  circuit.  I  will  not  lengthen  out 
my  broken  remarks  on  this  subject,  but  propose 
to  be  one  of  three  hundred  who  will  donate 
$10  each,  to  aid  in  commencing  such  an  enter- 
prise. Who  will  respond  ?  or,  rather,  who  will 
not?  T.  Dunn." 

No  sooner  was  this  subject  laid  before  our 
people,  than  a  simultaneous  waking  up  was 
visible.  All  who  gave  the  undertaking  a  pro- 
per consideration,  acknowledged  its  great  im- 
portance. Two  weeks  after  Mr.  Dunn's  pro- 
position appeared,  the  following  letter,  contain- 
ing additional  reasons  for  the  prosecution  of  the 
plan,  was  published  through  the  same  medium : 
'' Batavia,  0.,  March  14,  1838. 

*'  Dear  Brethren, — In  the  46th  number  of 
the  Advocate,  I  saw  a  letter  from  brother  T. 
Dunn,  in  which  he  proposes  to  be  one  of  three 
hundred,  to  pay  ten  dollars  each,  to  commence 
the  publication  of  a  German  Christian  Advo- 
cate, in  connection  with  the  Western  Christian 
Advocate,  in  Cincinnati.  I  would  most  hearti- 
ly respond  to  this  proposition ;  and  for  doing 
so,  I  have  many  reasons,  some  of  which  I  will 
here  name. 

"  First,  it  is  a  thing  much  to  be  desired  by  us, 
as  a  Church,  that  all  who  live  among  us  and 
mingle  in  our  society,  should  have  a  knowledge 
of  our  doctrines  and  disciplinary  usages;  and 
of  these,  by  far  the  greater  part  of  the  German 
population  of  this  country  are  entirely  ignorant ; 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  43 

for  what  information  they  have  about  us,  is 
principally  from  those  who  are  our  opposers, 
and  who  most  shamefully  misrepresent  us : 
consequently  the  thousands  of  our  German 
neighbors  know  as  little  about  the  doctrine  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  as  many  of 
the  untaug-ht  tribes  of  the  forest.  And  when 
we  consider  the  great  number  of  Germans  now 
filling  up  our  cities  and  country  (if  the  tide  of 
German  immigration  should  continue  in  regular 
ratio,  for  a  few  years  to  come,  as  it  has  for  a 
few  years  past,  in  many  places,  one-third,  if 
not  more,  of  the  population  will  be  Germans ; 
if  I  am  correctly  informed,  it  is  about  that  now 
in  the  city  of  Cincinnati,)  it  will,  from  this 
view,  be  doubly  important  to  introduce  some 
plan  of  operation,  in  which  we  will  most  likely 
succeed,  to  diffuse  among  our  neighbors  that 
knowledge  which  we  believe  so  highly  impor- 
tant to  man's  happiness  here,  and  his  welfare 
hereafter.  I  would  not,  however,  be  under- 
stood to  say,  that  the  Germans  who  come  to 
this  country  are  all  unenlightened,  with  regard 
to  the  all  important  doctrines  of  religion ;  for 
many  of  them  are  taught  to  read  the  Bible  from 
childhood,  and  are  taken  through  a  regular 
course  of  religious  instruction :  but  I  do  say, 
that  a  great  majority  of  those  even  who  have 
the  name  of  Protestants,  are  in  the  dark  with 
regard  to  the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  faith,  a 
present  salvation  from  sin,  regeneration,  the 
witness  of  the  Spirit,  &c.,  as  taught  and  be- 
lieved by  us.     Now,  while  they,  through  the 


44  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

German  papers  circulating  through  the  country, 
hear  us  misrepresented,  they  will  stand  aloof 
from  us,  and  our  way  to  do  them  good  will  be 
closed  up,  in  a  great  degree,  while  those  preju- 
dices are  retained  against  us.  Therefore,  after 
viewing  the  attitude  we  are  placed  in  to  our 
German  neighbors,  and  feeling  a  great  desire 
that  something  might  be  done  to  correct  wrong 
impressions,  and  to  instruct  them  in  our  doc- 
trine and  economy,  I  can  think  of  no  plan  that 
will  be  so  likely  to  be  successful  as  that  of  pub- 
lishing a  German  paper,  in  which  extracts  from 
our  standard  works  might  be  inserted ;  and  in 
a  few  years,  by  devoting  several  columns  to  the 
work,  the  whole  of  Wesley's  Sermons  might 
be  translated,  and  read  by  many  of  the  Germans, 
who,  without  this  method,  never  would  read 
them;  and  who  can  estimate  the  good  that 
might  be  done  in  this  way  ?  And  suppose  the 
Church  should  not  realize  much  profit  from 
this  paper  at  first,  as  many,  no  doubt,  will  be 
ready  to  fear,  is  not  the  prospect  of  doing  good 
to  the  souls  of  our  fellow  men,  sufficient  to 
rouse  the  zeal  of  the  Church  on  this  subject? 
We  view  this  matter  with  great  anxiety  and 
solicitude,  and  we  do  hope  that  some  of  our 
aged  and  influential  brethren  will  bring  this 
subject  properly  before  the  Church.  Much 
has  been  done  to  enlighten  the  Indians,  the 
Africans,  and  indeed  almost  all  heathens,  in 
every  land.  This  is  as  it  should  be,  and  much 
more  should  be  done  than  has  been  done.  But 
are  not  souls  in  our  own  vicinity  perishing  for 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  45 

the  lack  of  knoAvledge,  equally  as  precious  as 
those  at  a  distance — and  does  not  the  future 
prosperity  of  our  countiy  much  depend  upon 
the  course  we  pursue,  in  reference  to  the  thou- 
sands immigrating  from  other  countries  ?  Will 
not,  then,  my  brethren  wake  up  to  this  subject? 
Will  the  proposition  to  raise  three  thousand 
dollars,  be  met  by  those  who  love  the  prosper- 
ity of  Zion  ?  While  we  plead  for  this,  we 
feel  that  Ave  are  pleading  the  cause  of  precious 
and  immortal  souls.  While  writing  these 
lines,  I  have  a  lively  recollection  of  the  time 
when  the  faithful  minister  of  Jesus  first  ex- 
plained to  my  dark  mind  a  free  and  full  salva- 
tion, though  ten  long  years  have  rolled  away 
since  the  time.  I  can  assure  you,  that  three 
thousand  dollars  are  to  me,  an  insignificant 
consideration,  when  held  in  competition  with 
a  blessed  hope  of  immortality  and  eternal  life. 
Let  our  brethren,  then,  traveling  in  German 
settlements,  mention  this  subject  to  the  people, 
and  ascertain,  as  far  as  possible,  the  prospect 
of  success  in  this  contemplated  enterprise,  and 
let  us  so  talk,  and  think,  and  pray  about  it,  as 
finally  to  be  brought  to  action.  Finally,  if  the 
editors  of  the  Western  Christian  Advocate  will 
publish  these  remarks,  and  there  be  no  strong 
opposition  from  the  proper  authorities  of  the 
Church,  we  may,  in  a  subsequent  communica- 
tion, show  other  reasons  why  we  so  earnestly 
wish  tliis  enterprise  to  succeed. 

"  Yours,  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord, 
"Adam  Miller." 


46  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

To  give  the  public  a  still  better  idea  of  the 
great  importance  of  this  publication,  and  of  the 
real  condition  of  numbers  of  our  German  pop- 
ulation, it  will  be  necessary  to  insert  other  let- 
ters, published  in  the  Western  Christian  Advo- 
cate, immediately  after  the  appearance  of  Mr. 
Dunn's  proposition.  It  is  cheering  to  reflect 
that  the  expectations  expressed  in  them  have, 
to  so  great  an  extent,  been  realized.  The  fol- 
lowing is  from  brother  Nast ;  in  it  will  be  found 
a  report,  from  a  German  paper,  of  a  dialogue, 
in  which  the  author  gives  an  account  of  his 
own  religious  experience,  and  then  attempts  to 
account  for  the  sudden  conversions  among  the 
Methodists. 

*'  Cincinnati,  March  19,  1838. 
'Dear  Brethren, — -illow  me  to  say  a  few 
words  upon  brother  Dunn's  proposition,  to  pub- 
lish a  German  Christian  Advocate* — a  project 
which  will  furnish  the  only  antidote  against 
the  efforts  of  wicked  and  unreasonable  men,  to 
quench  the  last  strivings  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
the  hearts  of  the  misguided  German  immigrants. 
The  picture  of  almost  impenetrable  darkness 
and  reckless  impiety,  which  is  presented  in  the 
following  extracts  from  the  last  number  of  the 
*  Protestant,'  ought  to  nerve  every  lover  of  God 
and  man,  to  hasten  to  save  what  portion  of  im- 

*  Before  a  name  had  been  given  to  the  contemplated  German 
paper,  it  was,  by  general  consent,  called  the  German  Advocate  ; 
but  afterward  it  was  changed  to  the  Christian  Apologist,  which 
conveys  in  German  the  same  idea  as  the  English  word  Advo- 
cate. The  phrase  is  the  more  proper,  as  the  first  defenders  of 
the  Christian  faith  were  called  Apologists,  and  their  writings 
against  Jews  and  heathens,  apologies,  i.  e.,  defenses. 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  47 

mortal  souls  may  yet  be  saved,  from  the  venom 
of  the  old  serpent.  There  has  been  felt  a  great 
deal  of  apprehension  and  sympathy,  with  re- 
gard to  the  increasing  influx  of  Roman  Catho- 
lic immigrants  ;  but  how  much  blacker  appears 
the  cloud,  when  we  see  the  majority  o^ Protes- 
tant German  immigrants,  miserably  captured 
by  clerical  pirates,  who,  under  the  flag  of  an 
orthodox  Christian  Church,  lay  in  wait  for  un- 
M'ary  souls,  to  make  them  scoffers  of  salvation, 
and  opposers  to  God  !  Who  can  be  more  like 
sheep  without  a  shepherd,  than  the  German 
immigrants  ?  The  one  part,  held  in  the  iron 
o^rasp  of  superstition ;  the  other,  receiving  the 
deadly  draught  of  infidelity,  from  the  hand  of 
those  who  should  administer  to  them  the  pure 
word  of  God :  both  parties  operated  upon  by 
the  unremitting  influence  of  a  weekly  press, 
the  moie  fatal,  as  there  is  none  to  contradict — 
no  herald  of  salvation,  no  advocate  of  Bible 
religion,  'no  voice  of  wisdom  crving  in  the 
streets,  in  the  chief  place  of  concourse,  in  tlie 
opening  of  the  gates :  How  long,  ye  simple 
ones,  will  ye  love  simplicity?  and  the  scorners 
delight  in  their  scorning,  and  fools  hate  knowl- 
edge V  Shall,  then,  error  alone  open  its  wide 
mouth,  and  truth  be  dumb  ?  For  it  is  to  be  re- 
membered, that  the  Lutheran  Observer,  to  v/hich 
the  Protestant  makes  so  loud  and  grave  objec- 
tions, on  account  of  its  Revival  Department,  is 
printed  in  the  English  language.  Much  miglit 
be  said,  why  this  paper  is  not  published  in  Ger- 
man; and  the  reason,  if  told,  would  point  out 


48  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

our  duty  more  clearly  and  forcibly.  Now,  will 
American  Christians  hail  these  immigrants  as 
fellow  citizens,  and  partakers  of  the  same  civil 
liberty,  and  yet  leave  them  under  the  thraldom 
of  spiritual  ignorance  and  soul-destroying  error  ? 
How  much  has  the  Church  done,  and  is  still 
doing,  for  a  far  less  number  of  neglected  In- 
dians !  How  much  money,  how  much  labor 
has  been  bestowed,  how  many  lives  have  been 
nobly  sacrificed,  to  hold  forth  the  word  of  life 
to  their  perishing  souls  ?  I  am  far  from  inti- 
mating, that  too  much  has  been  felt  and  done 
for  the  small  savage  tribe  in  the  lonely  forest. 
But  permit  me  to  ask,  why  shall  we  feel  less 
solicitude  for  the  salvation  of  those,  whom 
Providence  has  made  our  nearest  neighbors ; 
whose  interests  are  linked  closely  with  ours ; 
with  whom  we  daily  converse,  and  to  whom 
we  can  speak  without  an  interpreter  ? 
"But  if  we  desire  them  to  be  partakers  of  our 
holy  religion,  what  means,  more  adapted  to  the 
nature  of  the  case  and  spirit  of  the  age ;  what 
more  powerful  instrument  against  false  doc- 
trines ;  what  speedier  pioneer,  to  prepare  the 
way  of  the  Lord  for  traveling  preachers,  could 
we  use,  than  the  contemplated  paper,  exhibit- 
ing the  doctrines  and  discipline  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  by  extracts  from  our 
standard  works  ?  It  would  be  able  to  make  its 
way  through  all  opposition,  to  every  region  of 
country  and  every  class  of  society.  The  ef- 
fects Avhich  it  might  have  upon  the  Roman 
Catholics  as  well  as  Protestants,  in  this  coun- 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  49 

try,  and  even  upon  Germany,  are  indeed  incal- 
culable. I  am  happy  to  say,  that  within  a  few 
days,  two  German,  and  two  English  brethren, 
gave  me  their  names,  to  make  part  of  the  three 
hundred. 

"  How  much  for  the  better  have  the  prospects 
of  the  German  mission  already  changed  !  In 
answer  to  persevering  prayer,  a  cloud  of  mercy 
is  seen  rising.  The  congregations  are  growing 
larger  every  Sabbath,  and  eighteen  have  been 
received  into  the  Church  since  conference. 
Our  Articles  of  Religion  and  General  Rules, 
and  Catechisms,  are  being  printed,  and  excite 
much  inquiry  and  interest.  Another  encour- 
aging circumstance,  is,  that  the  Tract  Society 
of  our  Church,  at  New  York,  has  authorized 
me  to  translate  such  of  our  tracts  as  are  best 
adapted  for  the  German  population,  and  to  send 
them  for  publication  to  New  York.  Last  Sa- 
turday and  Sabbath,  brother  A.  Miller  labored 
with  us  at  our  two  days'  meeting.  We  admin- 
istered, the  first  time  in  the  German  language, 
the  emblems  of  the  dying  love  of  Christ.  Sev- 
eral of  the  communicants  felt  the  love  of  God 
in  a  greater  deofree  than  thev  had  ever  before 
realized  at  a  sacramental  occasion.  We  also 
held  the  first  German  love  feast ;  and  the  Head 
of  the  Church  deigned  to  own  and  bless  the 
litde  flock.  Our  English  brethren,  though  not 
understanding  our  language,  felt  the  Divine 
presence,  and  could  not  contain  themselves. 
The  Sabbath  evening  meeting  was  peculiarly 
interesting.  Brother  Hamline,  constrained  by 
5 


50  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

the  love  of  Christ,  approached  the  altar,  at  the 
close,  and  told  his  experience  in  English,  which, 
notwithstanding  the  disadvantages  arising  from 
interpretation,  was  listened  to  with  solemn  at- 
tention. 

"  For  the  purpose  of  informing  your  readers 
respecting  the  misrepresentations,  contained  in 
the  German  Protestant  of  this  city,  the  follow- 
ing is  selected.  Of  the  late  revival  at  Dayton, 
the  editor  speaks  in  the  following  manner : 

"  'Soon  we  shall  see  the  promise  fulfilled, 
"one  flock  and  one  Shepherd."  Methodists, 
Presbyterians,  and  Baptists,  held,  as  we  see 
from  a  letter  of  one  of  our  correspondents  at 
Dayton,  meetings  three  times  a  day,  since 
Christmas,  in  the  different  churches.  The 
meetings  lasted  usually  till  midnight.  Like 
j  the  frantic  priests  and  priestesses  at  Delphi, 
■  five  preachers,  one  in  the  pulpit  and  four  among 
the  crowd,  tried  to  keep  up  the  excitement,  by 
stamping,  beating  with  the  fist,  hallooing, 
preaching  and  praying,  of  course,  in  different 
languages.  What  is  most  to  be  deplored,  is, 
that  even  some  spurious  Lutheran  and  German 
Reformed  preachers  fell  in  willi  this  mode  of - 
worship,  and  denied  their  faith,  in  order  to  open 
the  floodgate  of  mysticism,  with  impunity,  and 
not  to  remain  behind  these  fanatics  in  making 
proselytes.  This  mysticism,  which,  like  the 
plague,  has  taken  hold  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
United  States,  and  is  still  spreading,  leads,  un- 
der the  cloak  of  religion,  away  from  all  relig- 
ion, confounds  the  faith  of  the  weak,  and,  in- 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  51 

Stead  of  convincing  the  understanding  of  the 
truth,  and  making  the  heart  susceptible  for  its 
reception,  excites  only  the  animal  man,  and 
produces  a  desire  after  mere  forms,  without 
considering,  that  the  form  is  nothing  but  the 
shell  without  a  kernel.  This  propensity  for 
forms  and  ceremonies,  leads  those  Pseudo-Pro- 
testants more  and  more  back  to  Roman  Cathol- 
icism; for  Roman  Catholicism  originated  in 
the  Talmud  of  the  Jews,  and  borrowed  from 
Judaism  all  its  ceremonies.  We  shall  then 
shordy  see  these  nominal  Protestants,  who 
are  filled  with  heathenish  frenzy,  Presbyte- 
rians, Methodists  and  Baptists,  united  with  Ro- 
man Catholics  and  Jews,  into  one  great  flock, 
in  order  to  build  again  the  great  tower  of  Babel, 
if  the  undertaking  does  not  fail  on  account  of 
the  builders'  madness.' 

"  Of  his  own  religion  he  gives  us  a  specimen 
in  the  following  dialogue  between  a  captain 
and  a  parson,  respecting  the  other  world : 

"  '  C  What  a  pity  it  is,  Mr.  Parson,  that 
we  know  nothing  of  our  state  after  death.  Of 
what  avail  is  all  our  knowledge,  if  we  remain 
in  the  dark  upon  this  point  ? 

"  '  P.  It  must  not  be  dark,  though  we  should 
not  know  the  certainty  of  it.  But  do  you  think 
such  knowledge  would  be  a  benefit  to  us  ? 

"  '  C.  How  do  you  mean  ? 

"  'P.  You,  sir,  are  now  captain. 

"  '  C.  Yes,  sir. 

"  'P.  If  I  now  should  tell  you,  as  soon  as 


52  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

you  open  this  room  and  go  in,  you  will  be  ma- 
jor, what  would  you  do  ? 

"  '  C  The  answer  is  plain — I  would  go  in. 

*' '  P.  And  if  man  knew  that  he  would  pass, 
immediately  after  death,  into  a  better  state  of 
existence,  what,  do  you  think,  would  he  do,  if 
he  met  with  any  trouble  or  vexation? 

"  '  C.  Um ! — In  all  probability,  he  would 
blow  out  his  brains. 

"  '  P.  I  think  so,  too.  By  far  the  greater 
part  of  mankind  would  leave  their  stations  be- 
fore their  time.  Judge,  then,  what  dangerous 
gift  God  would  have  bestowed,  if  he  liad  given 
us  a  certain  knowledge  upon  this  subject.  He 
would  have  destroyed  his  own  work. 

"  '  C.  This  is  true.  I  will  therefore  not  be 
major  before  the  time.' 

"  There  is  also  in  the  last  number,  a  long 
article  respecting  the  Methodists,  which  is  full 
of  historical  as  well  as  moral  misrepresenta- 
tions. He  says,  for  instance,  that  Mr.  Wesley 
and  Mr.  Whitefield  were  not  ordained  minis- 
ters, and  therefore  not  permitted  to  preach  in 
churches.  To  account  for  the  wonderful  effects 
which  followed  Mr.  Wesley's  preaching,  he 
says,  'that  he  commenced  his  experiments  of 
conversion,  with  criminals  in  prison,  and  with 
the  rabble  in  public  places  of  amusement — de- 
scribing the  natural  corruption  of  man  in  the 
blackest  colors,  and  then  suddenly  raising  up 
again  the  minds,  tortured  by  fear  and  anguish, 
through  the  oftering  and  praising  of  the  alone 
saving  merit  of  Christ,  which  man  can  appro- 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  53 

priate  to  himself,  without  any  merit  or  act  of 
his  own,  by  mere  faith.  How  great  such  an 
excitement  must  be,  especially  if  produced  in 
a  criminal,  who  has  lost  the  full  and  right  use 
of  his  intellect,  and  to  whom,  of  all  his  feel- 
ings, none  other  than  that  of  guilt  and  death  re- 
maineth,  is  easily  imagined.  As  one  that  is 
near  drowning,  catches  at  a  straw,  in  hope  of 
being  saved,  so  the  criminal,  tormented  by  the 
fear  of  approaching  death,  and  the  conscious- 
ness of  his  crimes,  trembling  at  the  fate  which 
might  befall  him  after  death,  catches  at  every 
word  of  comfort ;  but  in  the  disorder  of  his 
body  and  mind,  every  thing  that  affects  him, 
either  powerfully  or  beneficially,  produces  spas- 
modic convulsions,  sighing  and  groaning.  And 
it  is  this  observation,  which  led  Wesley  and 
Whitefield  to  the  enthusiastic  belief  of  a  sud- 
den conversion,  under  sighing,  groaning,  and 
convulsion,  of  a  sudden  consciousness  of  a 
moral  change  in  man — of  a  descent  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  upon  the  enlightened  or  convicted — of 
an  intimate  communion  of  God,  with  those  who 
are  able  to  produce  such  effects  by  their  dis- 
courses, and  of  an  especial  presence  of  God  at 
their  sermons.'  Wm.  Nast." 

The  foregoing  letter  presents  a  fair  specimen 
of  the  weapons  with  which  Methodism  was 
assailed  by  its  enemies  among  the  Germans,  at 
its  commencement.  Without  a  periodical  in 
their  own  language,  it  was  impossible  to  reply 
to  those  false  statements,  or  to  correct  the  erro- 
neous impressions  that  were  made  upon  the 


54  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS    OF 

minds  of  the  simple  inquirers  after  truth.  Those, 
then,  who  advocated  the ,  publication  of  a  Ger- 
man religious  paper,  advocated  the  cause  of 
God,  and  the  salvation  of  souls.  This  paper, 
as  the  reader  is  already  aware,  was  speedily- 
commenced,  and  it  has  now  arrived  at  its  fifth 
volume ;  and  no  one,  viewing  the  extensive 
good  which  it  has  been  the  means  of  accom- 
plishing, can,  for  a  moment,  regret  that  he  aided 
in  its  establishment. 

Relative  to  this  contemplated  publication,  the 
editor  of  the  Pittsburg  Conference  Journal 
spoke  as  follows : 

"We  perceive  by  the  Western  Christian 
Advocate,  that  the  brethren  at  the  Western 
Book  Concern,  are  making  a  vigorous  effort  to 
commence  a  German  Methodist  paper,  to  be 
called  the  German  Christian  Advocate.  There 
is  no  doubt  such  a  paper  is  much  needed,  and 
if  established,  will  do  immense  good.  Several 
German  papers  are  published  in  this  country, 
professedly  religious,  but  it- is  to  be  regretted, 
that  some  of  these  are  more  favorable  to  infi- 
delity than  Christianity ;  such,  in  particular,  is 
the  character  of  one  published  in  Cincinnati,  if 
we  may  judge  from  the  extracts  which  we  have 
seen  from  its  columns.  The  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  has  an  able  and  devoted  mission- 
ary at  work  among  the  German  population  in 
Cincinnati  and  vicinity.  He  is  a  man  of  more 
than  ordinary  literary  acquirements,  and  withal 
a  native  German.  Cincinnati  is,  on  this  ac- 
count, as  well  as  on  others,  the  very  place  for 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  55 

a  German  paper.  Let  our  brethren  there  go 
on — no  doubt  they  will  succeed ;  and  we  shall 
be  much  disappointed,  if  they  do  not  receive 
considerable  encouragement  from  Pennsylva- 
nia. We  are  acquainted  with  a  number  of 
German  Methodists  in  this  state,  who  would 
think  it  a  great  privilege  to  help  on  with  so 
good  a  work.  Some  of  them  are  subscribers 
to  our  paper,  and  we  will  give  them  the  plan 
which  has  been  adopted  to  establish  the  Ger- 
man Christian  Advocate,  that  they  may  come 
forward  in  behalf  of  their  destitute  brethren, 
with  a  liberal  hand ;  and  to  some  of  those  who 
are  not  subscribers,  but  who,  we  are  sure,  will 
not  be  backward  in  this  good  work,  we  will 
take  occasion  to  send  a  copy  this  week. 

"  The  plan  is  this,  to  raise  $3,000,  by  $10 
subscriptions.  This  will  require  three  hundred 
subscribers,  and  this  amount  will  be  required 
to  start  the  paper  fairly,  as  the  number  of  sub- 
scribers, who  take  the  paper,  will  of  course, 
be  small  at  first.  There  is  no  doubt  three  hun- 
dred will  be  found  willing  to  give  this  amount 
to  so  good  an  object,  and  some  even  more  than 
this.  We  will,  very  cheerfully,  transmit  the 
names  of  any  who  are  willing  to  become  sub- 
scribers, if  it  be  more  convenient  to  send  in 
their  names  to  us,  than  to  Wright  and  Sworm- 
stedt,  Cincinnati.  Let  us  see  what  can  be 
done." 

In  the  Western  Christian  Advocate,  the  an- 
nexed letter  was  published,  with  the  following 
additional  remarks,  by  the  editor:    "Brother 


56  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

Nathaniel  Callender,  of  the  Pittsburg  confer- 
ence, who  also  speaks  German,  highly  recom- 
mends the  proposed  paper ;  and  he  informs  us, 
that  the  late  Bishop  Emory  took  a  very  active 
part  in  promoting  the  spiritual  interests  of  our 
German  brethren,  and  had  some  plans  of  great 
importance,  in  a  state  of  considerable  maturity 
in  reference  to  the  matter;  but  his  sudden 
death  prevented  their  development.  It  remains 
with  those  who  are  yet  spared,  to  plan  and  act 
for  the  benefit  of  our  race." 

"  Sharon  circuit,  Pittsburg  conference, 
March  21,  1838. 

"  The  noble  scheme,  proposed  by  a  brother, 
T.  Dunn,  in  your  paper  of  March  9th,  ought 
by  no  means  to  be  lost  sight  of ;  even  whilst 
other  noble  plans  for  doing  good  are  in  pro- 
gress. I  do  sincerely  hope  his  call  will  be  re- 
sponded to  in  the  west,  as  Theophilus'  is  an- 
swered in  the  east,  and  the  three  hundred  con- 
tributors of  $10  each,  be  forthcoming.  A  Ger- 
man Christian  Advocate  will  help  our  cause 
much — much.  In  my  labors  amongst  the 
Germans,  I  have  often  felt  the  want  of  some 
such  assistant.  Tracts,  books,  &c.,  in  the 
German  language,  ought,  by  all  means,  to  be 
issued  from  our  press.  And,  perhaps,  it  would 
be  well  to  establish  a  German  press  exclusive- 
ly. I  wish  I  could  subscribe  three  hundred 
times  ten  dollars :  you  should  have  my  name 
for  the  whole  amount  called  for.  Come,  breth- 
ren, whilst  our  German  friends  are  helping 
us,  in  reference  to  the  English  population,  let 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  57 

US  cheerfully  reciprocate  their  kindness,  by- 
meeting',  at  least,  the  present  small  demand  for 
three  hundred  subscribers  of  $10  each;  espe- 
cially let  German  descendants  now  take  hold. 
I  am  ready  with  my  $10,  as  soon  as  you  say, 
send  it  on,  &c.  J.  K.  Miller." 

In  the  same  religious  journal,  the  following 
letter  was  also  published : 

"Dear  Brethren, — I  am  very  much  de- 
lighted to  see  a  proposition  to  publish  a  Ger- 
man Christian  Advocate.  Nothing  in  all  our 
country  is  more  needed.  It  seems  to  me,  that 
if  the  means  were  properly  applied,  it  would 
not  be  long  until  the  holy  fire  would  be  scatter- 
ed from  Dan  even  to  Beersheba,  and  all  the 
different  dialects  would  soon  be  employed  in 
the  propagation  of  light  and  knowledge.  Let 
me  say,  through  you,  to  the  western  world, 
that  we  have,  in  the  providence  of  God,  for- 
eigners thrown  among  us — many  German  for- 
eigners, who  are  to  be  our  future  neighbors, 
and  to  marry  with  our  children,  and  to  take 
hold  on  the  helm  of  our  government,  and  to 
bear  a  part  in  steering  our  political  ship.  But 
many  of  these  want  the  information  necessary 
to  all  these  purposes.  Now,  my  dear  friends, 
it  remains  no  longer  a  question,  whether  it  is 
our  duty  to  afford  the  means.  Their  present 
relation  to  us  and  God  himself,  require  that 
they  should  have  it,  and  it  is  our  duty  to  send 
help.  I  was  delighted  with  the  proposition  to 
publish  a  German  Christian  Advocate,  and  wish 
you  to  consider  me  a  subscriber  of  ten  dollars, 


58  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS    OF 

to  meet  the  proposition,  for  that  purpose. 
This  I  conceive  to  be  an  enterprise  of  the  first 
importance,  and  do,  through  your  paper,  most 
earnestly  and  respectfully  request  the  preachers 
on  their  circuits,  and  all  the  people,  to  take  this 
matter  into  consideration,  and  let  us  fill  up  the 
amount  proposed,  by  the  first  of  June  next;  so 
that  the  work  may  be  commenced  immediately. 
The  interests  of  both  worlds  require  it.  Let 
Zion  rise  and  shake  herself,  and  put  on  her 
beautiful  garments,  and  gird  on  the  whole  ar- 
mor of  God ;  for  the  day  is  fast  approaching 
when  there  will  be  a  mighty  battle  fought  be- 
tween infidelity  and  Christianity,  between  light 
and  darkness,  Christ  and  Belial.  There  ought 
to  be  no  neutrals,  there  will  be  none,  when  all 
the  professing  world  are  weighed  in  the  bal- 
ance. 0,  how  many  thousand  Antinomian 
professors  now  sleep  in  carnal  security,  and 
dream  of  heaven  with  all  its  untold  and  immor- 
tal pleasures,  that  will  hear  the  eternal  Judge 
say,  in  that  day,  '  Depart,  depart,  ye  cursed, 
ye  covetous,  lovers  of  money  more  than  of 
God,  and  the  salvation  of  souls ! '  Awake, 
slumbering  professor,  and  come  up  to  our  help 
on  this  occasion.  Send  your  names  to  the 
Agents  of  the  Book  Concern,  as  subscribers  to 
the  enterprise  proposed,  to  enlighten  your  Ger- 
man brethren.  Take  them  by  the  hand,  and 
say,  '  Be  thou  fed  and  clothed  with  the  bread 
of  life,  and  the  garments  of  righteousness,  and 
thou  shalt  hear,  if  thou  art  faithful  until  death, 
*'  Come  thou  blessed  of  my  Father,  enter  into 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  59 

eternal  life."  '     God  bless  the  world,  and  save 
saints  and  sinners,  is  mv  prayer. 

"J.    B.    FiNLEY." 

In  a  subsequent  number  of  the  Western 
Christian  Advocate,  the  editors  introduce  other 
letters,  and  an  editorial  notice,  as  follows : 
"  The  German  paper  appears  to  receive  week- 
ly, new  and  increased  attention.  At  our  re- 
quest, brother  Nast  has  translated,  for  our  col- 
umns, the  following  letters,  which  will  show 
that  God  is  raising  a  number  of  Germans  to 
take  hold  of  this  noble  enterprise.  We  have 
reason  to  believe  that  the  paper  will  be  the 
means  of  enlisting  and  uniting  the  services  of 
a  large  number  of  native  Germans,  who  will 
be  extensively  useful  to  their  countrymen  in 
America,  and  will  also  materially  benefit  Ger- 
many. Below,  also,  we  give  the  notice  of  the 
Christian  Advocate  and  Journal,  which  we 
present  to  our  readers  as  another  strong  testi- 
mony in  favor  of  the  new  paper. 

"  Tflieeling,   Va.,  April  26,  1838. 

"  Dear  Sir, — Several  communications  from 
you,  which  appeared  in  the  religious  papers  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  respecting 
your  labors,  and  the  lively  interest  which  you 
manifested  for  the  salvation  of  our  German 
countrymen,  excited  a  desire  in  me  to  open  a 
correspondence  with  you,  having  no  opportu- 
nity, at  present,  to  make  your  personal  ac- 
quaintance. 

"  I  have  resided  about  eighteen  months  in 
the  United  States.     My  native  country  is  the 


60  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

kingdom  of  Hanover.  Why  I  was  induced  to 
leave  my  fatherland,  a  loving  mother  and  affec- 
tionate friends,  and  go  to  a  strange  land,  I  be- 
gin now  to  understand.  I  see  in  it  the  finger 
of  God.  It  was  his  inscrutable  providence 
which  inspired  me  with  this  thought,  and  help- 
ed me  to  execute  it.  No  earthly  riches  had 
the  Lord  destined  for  me.  No,  something  in- 
finitely more  valuable — the  salvation  of  my 
soul.  The  infinite  grace  of  our  Lord  opened 
my  eyes,  under  the  preaching  of  Methodist 
ministers,  to  see  the  bottomless  abyss,  at  the 
edge  of  which  I  unconsciously  stood ;  and  this 
mercy  pointed  out  the  way  and  the  means  by 
which  I  should  escape  the  wrath  to  come — 
faith  in  the  Lamb  ! 

"  The  conviction  that  thousands  of  my  Ger- 
man countrymen  are  in  the  same  danger  of  has- 
tening to  their  everlasting  ruin,  blinded  and  led 
astray  by  false  teachers  and  guides,  induces  me 
to  give  up  my  present  mercantile  business,  and 
to  devote  my  life  and  faculties  to  the  Lord,  and 
to  my  German  brethren.  In  a  few  days  I  shall 
leave  this  place  for  Meadville,  in  order  to  pre- 
pare myself  for  this  holy  calling,  for  which  I 
pray  the  Lord  to  give  me  a  pure  heart  and 
strength  from  above. 

"For  a  long  time  the  German  people  and 
the  German  heart  have  been  neglected  and  mis- 
apprehended in  this  country;  but  I  rejoice  that 
our  American  brethren  begin  to  feel  more  the 
claims  of  the  German  population,  and  that  their 
salvation  is  now  an  object  of  lively  interest  with 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  61 

them.  To  the  intended  German  Christian  Ad- 
vocate, I  wish  all  success,  and  I  will  cheerfully 
contribute  to  it,  by  my  pen,  according  to  my 
ability.  Only  through  such  means  can  the 
eyes  of  our  German  brethren  be  opened,  and 
their  prejudices  against  Methodism  removed. 
May  the  Lord  bless  this  undertaking,  and  may 
many  Germans'  hearts  be  added,  through  your 
labors,  to  the  flock  of  the  Lord ! 
"  Respectfully,  yours, 

"C.    H.    DOERING." 

"  Dear  Brethren, — Your  '  German  Chris- 
tian Advocate '  will  be  of  more  value  to  the 
cause  of  truth,  and  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  than  mine,  or  any  mind  on  earth,  can 
estimate.  I  make  haste  to  send  you  my  name, 
and  ten  dollar  subscription.  I  feel  an  indescri- 
bable joy  at  this  movement.  I  expect,  in  a  few 
weeks,  to  see  this  new  star  shine  in  our  moral 
heavens,  beside  our  own  Western  Christian 
Advocate. 

"  Yours,  sincerely,       A.  W.  Elliott." 

The  Christian  Advocate  and  Journal  says, 
"It  appears  from  the  Western  Christian  Advo- 
cate, that  our  brethren  of  the  west  are  making 
noble  efforts  to  establish  a  religious  paper  in  the 
city  of  Cincinnati,  to  be  entitled  the  German 
Christian  Advocate.  A  number  of  liberal  con- 
tributions are  already  pledged  for  the  support 
of  such  a  paper.  We  were  highly  pleased  Avith 
this  project  when  we  first  saw  it  announced, 
and  intended  to  notice  it ;  but  the  temporary 
absence  of  the  senior  editor,  and  the  subsequent 
6 


62  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

failure  of  the  Western  Christian  Advocate  to 
reach  our  table  as  usual,  have  occasioned  a  de- 
lay of  such  notice. 

"  We  are  happy  to  learn  that  the  enterprise 
is  likely  to  be  sustained.  There  is  more  de- 
pending upon  having  a  well-conducted  religious 
paper  in  CTcrman,  liberally  sustained,  in  this 
country,  than  strikes  the  mind  at  first  thought. 
Vast  numbers  are  immigrating  every  year  to 
this  country,  with  whom  intercourse  can  be  had 
only  through  the  medium  of  the  German  lan- 
guage. There  are  about  thirty  tliousand  in  this 
city.  But  the  great  tide  of  this  description  of 
population  is  setting  in  at  the  west.  Large 
agricultural  districts  are  tilling  up  with  them. 
When  we  consider  that  they  are  broken  off  from 
their  religious  affiliations,  and,  with  feelings 
eminently  inclined  to  venerate  the  institutions 
of  religion,  they  have  a  taste  for  perusing  relig- 
ious works  in  their  own  language,  there  is  no 
calculating  the  amount  of  good  that  may  be 
done  among  them,  by  furnishing  them  with  a 
well-conducted  religious  periodical,  before  they 
shall  be  brought  under  the  control  of  some  other 
influence.  Occupying  for  several  years  past,, 
a  position  on  the  great  western  thoroughfare, 
where  we  were  almost  constantly  presented 
with  ocular  evidence  of  the  multitudes  of  this 
class  emigrating  to  the  west,  we  have  been  deep- 
ly impressed  with  the  importance  of  establish- 
ing missions  among  them,  and  otherwise  labor- 
ing for  their  spiritual  benefit.  We  have  ascer- 
tained, however,  that  it  is  difficult  to  procure 


THE    GERMAN    MlSSIOxVS.  63 

suitable  missionaries  to  supply  this  field — and 
the  prospect  on  this  score  is  limited.  It  is  also 
difficult  to  instruct  them  by  means  of  books  and 
tracts,  as  there  are  so  few  of  the  right  kind 
printed  in  their  language.  True,  an  arrange- 
ment has  been  entered  into  for  publishing  a  few 
tracts  in  German,  with  a  view  of  doing  some- 
thing toward  meeting  this  demand.  But  what 
are  these  among  so  many  ?  It  strikes  us  that 
a  suitable  periodical  is  the  very  thing  that  is 
needed — the  desideratum.  It  was  a  happy 
thought ;  and  we  most  sincerely  hope  that  the 
project  will  be  liberally  sustained,  so  that  the 
paper  may  have  an  extensive  gratuitous  circu- 
lation, which,  we  doubt  not,  Avill  result  in  great 
good." 

In  a  still  later  number  of  the  Western  Chris- 
tian Advocate,  the  editors,  in  introducing  anoth- 
er letter,  give  the  following  cheering  intelli- 
gence: "We  continue  to  receive  encourage- 
ment toward  this  noble  project.  Our  standard 
WORKS  are  already  commenced,  both  in  refer- 
ence to  Germany  and  America.  Our  Articles, 
General  Rules,  and  Three  Catechisms,  are 
already  published ;  and  some  copies  have  been 
sent  to  Germany.  Watson's  Institutes,  Tracts, 
Discipline,  &c.,  will  soon  follow.  The  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  will  not  be  negligent 
in  her  official  authorities,  to  do  the  great  work 
proposed  by  individual  enterprise.  Germany 
MUST  have  the  advantages  of  the  Methodist  doc- 
trines, and  she  will  have  them  before  long, 


64  ORIGIN    AND   PROGRESS    OF 

God  favoring  the  attempt.  Read  the  following 
letter  from  our  beloved  brother  Drake,  of  the 
Mississippi  conference-: 

"  '  Washington,  Miss.,  May  4,  1838. 
<' 'Brothers  Elliott  and  Hamline, — ^I 
have  noticed  the  proposition  in  the  Western 
Christian  Advocate,  to  publish  a  religious  jour- 
nal in  the  German  language.  I  am  pleased, 
exceedingly  delighted  vi^ith  the  suggestion.  To 
the  Germans  we  owe  much.  But  for  the  zeal 
and  intrepidity  of  Luther  and  his  associates, 
we  might  all  have  been  the  slaves  of  Rome  to 
this  day.  The  idea  of  having  our  standard 
theology  circulated  in  the  heart  of  Germany, 
is  a  bright  vision  to  me.  What  may  not  God 
work  by  its  means  ?  That  there  should  be 
brought  into  our  Church,  at  this  time,  and  in 
Cincinnati,  a  man  so  well  qualified  to  conduct 
such  an  enterprise,  as  I  presume  brother  Nast 
is,  appears  to  me  a  most  evident  opening  of 
Providence.  I  sincerely  hope  the  Book  Com- 
mittee of  the  Western  Concern,  will  assume 
the  responsibility  of  issuing  the  paper,  so  soon 
as  the  requisite  sum  is  subscribed.  I  have  only 
seen  a  few  brethren  since  the  proposition  came 
under  my  notice,  and  with  a  very  little  effort, 
I  send  you  nine  names,  subscribers  of  ten  dol- 
lars each,  to  meet  the  proposition  of  brother 
Dunn.  I  am  at  a  loss  to  know  how  to  send 
you  the  money,  as  our  currency  would  be  of 
little  use  to  you.  So  soon  as  the  paper  is  com- 
menced, you  may  consider  me  as  responsible 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  65 

for  the  whole ;  and  call  on  me  by  draft  or  oth- 
erwise. 

"  '  Yours,  very  affectionately, 

'"B.  M.  Drake.'" 

Subsequently,  the  two  following  letters  ap- 
peared in  the  Western  Christian  Advocate : 
'' Zanesville,  0.,  Aug.  14,  1838. 

"  Dear  Brethren, — Permit  me  to  say  a  few 
words  in  behalf  of  the  contemplated  German 
Christian  Advocate.  I  feel,  with  brother  Wi- 
nans  of  the  south,  deeply  afflicted  in  spirit,  to 
think  that  an  enterprise  so  glorious,  and  calcu- 
lated to  do  good  through  all  time,  and  bring 
glory  to  God  for  ever,  should  languish  as  this 
appears  to  do.  O,  tell  it  not  west  of  the  Rocky 
mountains — publish  it  not  in  the  streets  of  Mon- 
rovia, that  only  $1500  have  been  pledged  in  six 
months,  to  permanently  establish  a  religious 
newspaper  for  the  benefit  of  the  tens  of  thous- 
ands of  the  children  of  Germany  among  us. 

"  This  was  the  first  thought  that  occupied 
my  mind  when  I  awoke  this  morning ;  and  be- 
fore I  arose,  my  thoughts  mounted  fancy's 
wings,  and  traveled  from  this  to  the  Scioto,  and 
down  that  valley  to  Portsmouth ;  thence  down 
the  Ohio,  sweeping  tlie  whole  country  for  miles 
north,  till  I  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Little 
Miami;  then  up  this  river  and  its  tributary 
streams,  till  I  got  among  the  fine  cattle  farms 
in  the  plains ;  thence  through  the  Mad  River 
country,  then  crossed  over  to  the  great  Miami, 
thence  down  this  rich  valley  to  the  mouth. 
This  done,  I  had  traveled  over  as  good,  if  not 
6* 


66  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

the  best  body  of  land  the  sun  ever  shone  on. 
Scattered  over  the  above  country,  I  know  hun- 
dreds who  could  give  ten  dollars  to  start  this 
paper,  if  their  hearts  were  so  disposed,  and  not 
feel  it.  Among  them,  there  are  many  descend- 
ed from  the  German  stock,  and  have  become 
rich  in  this  land  of  plenty. 

"  Brethren,  I  call  on  you  in  the  name  of  God, 
whose  stewards  you  are,  not  to  close  your  eyes 
this  night,  until  you  bow  before  your  Maker, 
and  pray  for  the  Germans,  and  about  this  paper, 
for  twenty-five  minutes ;  then  I  shall  know  what 
you  will  do.  God  knows,  and  you  know,  that 
you  have  been  making  money  rapidly  for  a 
few  years.  Just  think  of  it  for  one  minute — 
from  four  to  six  dollars  per  hundred  for  pork 
and  beef,  and  every  thing  in  proportion.  You 
have  built  houses  and  barns,  and  bought  more 
farms  at  from  ten  to  forty  dollars  per  acre,  and 
will  you  not  pay  ten  dollars  ?  Your  heavenly 
Father  can  take  it  off  your  doctor's  bill,  or  add 
it  to  the  price  of  a  horse  ;  but  you  are  not  ac- 
tuated by  motives  so  sordid.  You  willingly 
pay  five  or  six  dollars  for  a  bushel  of  clover- 
seed.  Why  ?  Because  you  expect  thirty,  six- 
ty, or  an  hundred-fold.  Give,  0,  give  your 
ten  dollars  to  start  the  German  Christian  Ad- 
vocate, in  Cincinnati ;  then  look  at  the  increase, 
through  time  ;  then  cross  over  Jordan,  and  be- 
hold the  golden  harvest,  waving  and  shouting 
on  the  eternal  plains  of  glory.  Come,  fathers 
and  brethren,  wake  up,  pray  over  this  matter, 
and  work  while  it  is  called  day,  and  you  will 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  67 

have  your  reward  in  time  and  eternity.  You 
and  I  will  soon  die ;  then  who  will  inherit  what 
we  have?  Let  us  do  as  the  venerable  Mr. 
Wesley  advised — get  all  you  can  in  a  proper 
way — save  all  you  can,  then  give  all  you  can. 
O  that  the  Lord  may  dispose  all  our  hearts  to 
do  his  will,  and  then  receive  us  to  glory,  for 
Christ's  sake.     Amen. 

''  I  am  your  unworthy  brother  in  Christ, 
"Wm.  Simmons." 
"  Tarlton,  Pickaway  county,  O.,  > 
Nov.  23,  1838.      $ 

"  Messrs.  Wright  and  Swormstedt, — I 
was  very  glad  when  our  Church  determined  to 
publish  a  German  religious  periodical.  In  this 
enterprise  she  should  have  embarked  long 
since ;  for  it  may  be,  through  her  negligence 
many  souls  will  be  lost  for  whom  Christ  died. 
Through  the  medium  of  the  press,  she  has  it 
in  her  power  to  send  them  the  bread  of  life, 
and  the  waters  of  salvation ;  and,  thank  God, 
she  is  resolved  to  exercise  this  ability,  and 
forthwith  furnish  them  with  the  means  of  grace, 
'by  using  of  which  they  may  grow  wise  unto 
salvation.  Now,  beloved  brethren,  if  all  your 
agents  would  but  take  a  deep  interest  in  the 
prosperity  of  the  Apologist,  and  without  delay 
present  its  claims  to  the  German  public,  your 
subscription  list  would  soon  increase  from  tens 
to  hundreds,  and  from  hundreds  to  thousands. 
Can  we  do  unto  others  as  we  would  they 
should  do  unto  us,  and  not  solicit  our  German 
neighbors  to  take  the  Apologist?     Surely  we 


W  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

cannot.  I  have  presented  the  prospectus  to  a 
number  of  Germans,  and  have  succeeded  in 
obtaining  four  subscribers ;  and  believe,  when 
the  paper  is  published,  so  that  they  can  see  its 
size,  and  read  its  contents,  many  more  will 
subscribe.  May  Heaven  bless  the  enterprise, 
and  save  the  Germans  of  North  America  and 
of  the  world. 

*'  I  remain  yours,  respectfully, 

"James  Boyd  Austin." 

After  the  importance  of  this  publication  had 
been  presented  in  so  strong  a  light,  and  consid- 
erable progress  had  been  made  in  the  collection 
of  funds,  the  question  arose,  Have  the  Agents 
at  Cincinnati,  the  right  to  commence  it  without 
authority  from  the  General  conference?  In 
order  to  decide  this,  the  Book  Committee  at 
Cincinnati,  recommended  that  the  Rev.  J.  F. 
Wright  should  attend  a  meeting  of  the  Bishops 
at  New  York,  which  he  accordingly  did.  He 
laid  the  whole  matter  before  them,  and  solicited 
their  advice.  They  unanimously  recommend- 
ed the  commencement  of  the  publication,  as 
will  be  seen  from  the  following  remarks  of  the 
editors  of  the  Western  Christian  Advocate : 

"  We  are  happy  to  learn  that  the  Bishops,  at 
their  recent  meeting  at  New  York,  unanimous- 
ly recommended  the  Agents  at  Cincinnati,  to 
commence  the  publication  of  a  paper  in  the 
German  language,  provided  this  could  be  done 
without  loss  to  the  Book  Concern.  We  have 
heretofore  presented  the  claims  of  this  publica- 
tion, without  being  able  to  state  definitely  that 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  69 

the  official  authorities  of  the  Church  would 
fully  enter  into  the  proposed  plan.  We  are 
now  happy  to  learn,  that  all,  east  and  west, 
north  and  south,  cordially,  indeed  zealously, 
encourage  this  undertaking-.  In  order  to  give 
confidence  to  the  publishers,  considering  the 
fewness  of  subscribers,  and  the  losses  unavoid- 
ably arising  from  scattered  and  distant  ones,  it 
will  be  necessary  to  make  up  the  bonus  of 
three  thousand  dollars,  a  part  of  which  only  is 
subscribed.  Let  those,  therefore,  who  favor 
this  noble  project,  send  in  their  names  as  do- 
nors, for  the  purpose  of  making  up  this  sum. 
A  prospectus,  both  in  German  and  English, 
will  be  prepared  and  circulated  without  delay ; 
and  no  time  will  be  lost  by  those  concerned 
here,  to  hasten  the  commencement  of  the  Ger- 
man paper." 

It  was  now  resolved  that  the  Agents  at  Cin- 
cinnati should  proceed  with  the  publication,  as 
soon  as  the  necessary  arrangements  could  be 
made.  The  first  number  made  its  appearance 
about  the  first  of  January,  1839.  The  amount 
required,  had  not  been  entirely  made  up ;  and 
in  order  to  urge  its  claims  more  forcibly  upon 
the  Christian  public,  a  committee  was  appoint- 
ed to  prepare  an  address  to  the  members  and 
ministers  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

The  address  is  inserted  in  this  work  on  ac- 
count of  the  valuable  information  it  contains  in 
reference  to  the  German  population  of  this 
country. 

"  No  human  mind,  as  we  apprehend,  can 


70  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

invent  weightier  or  purer  motives  to  benevolent 
action,  than  those  which  have  pressed  a  num- 
ber of  Christian  philanthropists  into  the  service 
of  this  '  Christian  Apologist.'  We  despair  of 
presenting  the  enterprise  in  a  light  as  clear  and 
impressive  as  truth  demands.  Could  we  do  it, 
we  are  sure  that  every  Christian  who  might 
pause  and  survey  it,  would  intensely  desire  to 
do  something  for  the  Apologist  at  this  juncture. 
"  The  importance  of  this  paper  to  the  Ger- 
mans, has  not,  we  believe,  been  disputed. 
This  paper  may  be  considered  our  German 
'  missionary  bishop,''  (borrowing  a  phrase  from 
our  Protestant  Episcopal  neighbors.)  It  is  to 
travel  over  the  whole  land,  to  teach  and  warn, 
and  by  the  blessing  of  God,  to  convert  and 
build  up.  It  is  to  visit  several  thousand  fami- 
lies weekly,  and  discourse  to  men,  women, 
and  children — to  good  and  bad,  pious  and  pro- 
fane, on  the  subjects  of  sin — death — and  the 
judgment;  and  above  all,  to  tell  about  Jesus, 
the  new  birth,  sanctification,  and  the  felicity 
and  glory  of  the  saved.  You  have  often  heard 
by  the  Western  Christian  Advocate,  what  a 
reading  people  these  Germans  are,  and  how 
much  this  voiceless,  yet  persuasive  missionary 
will  be  likely  to  accomplish,  if  we  can  but  fur- 
nish it  for  its  journeys,  and  keep  it  in  the  itin- 
erant field,  ceaselessly  pressing  along  our  high- 
ways and  liver  courses;  never  tiring,  never 
sleeping,  never  checked  by  cold,  sleet,  or  snow  ; 
and  with  a  sort  of  ubiquity,  pouring  forth  its 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  71 

pathetic  strains  in  a  thousand  cabins,  at  one 
and  the  same  moment. 

"If  you  will  yield  to  the  Apologist  these 
important  functions,  (and  surely  you  will,)  you 
cannot  view  its  publication  of  secondary  im- 
portance ;  or  should  you,  permit  us  to  urge  on 
your  attention  the  following  facts  : 

"  There  are  hundreds  of  thousands  of  Ger- 
mans now  among  us.  In  this  great  valley 
they  are  become  a  large  proportion  of  the  in- 
habitants. You  may  say  of  them  as  the  Ro- 
man said  of  the  early  Christians,  '  Every  place 
is  full  of  them.'  We  deem  it  safe  to  assume, 
that  there  are  more  Germans  in  the  Mississippi 
valley  than  there  are  Indians  beyond  the  Rocky 
mountains ;  indeed,  we  may  say,  there  are 
more  Catholic,  neoJogistic,  and  skeptical  Ger- 
mans in  this  great  west,  than  there  are  heathens 
in  the  whole  Pacific  territory  of  the  United 
States.  Between  the  abused  privileges  and  re- 
ligious states  of  these  and  those,  we  leave  you 
to  seek  resemblances  and  differences,  as  the 
Bible  warrants.  The  office  of  judging  requires 
no  skillful  casuistry,  or  infallible  prudence ; 
inasmuch  as  the  Bible  teaches  us  that,  '  to 
whom  much  is  given,  of  him  much  will  be  re- 
quired.' Now,  bethink  you  with  what  zeal 
the  Church  is  commissioning  messengers  to 
pass  over  the  deserts,  and  scale  the  mountains 
of  the  remote  west,  to  reach  some  eighty  thous- 
and Indians  who  know  not  God.  In  that  good 
work,  gold  and  silver  are  offered  almost  with- 


72  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

out  measure,  and  the  whole  land  urges  forward 
the  enterprise. 

"And  by  what  rule  do  we  leave  our  country 
and  sail  all  the  way  by  Cape  Horn  and  the 
Pacific  islands ;  or  traverse  the  almost  intermin- 
able deserts  for  six  long  months,  to  preach 
Jesus  in  the  valley  of  the  Multnomah,  and 
meanwhile  refuse  to  open  our  hearts  and  our 
purses  to  relieve  the  suflerers  of  our  own 
household.  In  the  former  work,  shall  we  val- 
ue no  labor,  nor  peril,  nor  expense ;  while  in 
the  latter,  fear  and  avarice  dry  up  the  fountains, 
or  check  the  current  of  our  charities  ?  Shall 
we  urge  the  ministers  of  Jesus  abroad,  in  the 
face  of  toils  and  hazards  of  all  sorts,  and  equip 
them  with  thirty  thousand  a  year,  (which  we 
heartily  approve,)  and  then  refuse  one-tenth  of 
that  sum  to  bring  moral  relief  to  thousands  of 
strangers,  who  lie  in  our  bosoms,  so  close  to  us 
that  we  may  feel  the  very  beatings  of  their 
hearts  ?  It  is  a  fact,  brethren,  that  a  tithe  of 
the  funds  contributed  for  the  salvation  of  eighty 
thousand  Indians  abroad,  will  sustain  this  mes- 
senger of  Gospel  tidings,  among  eighty  thous- 
and persons  who  stand  at  our  thresholds,  and 
daily  commune  with  us  and  with  our  children. 

"  We  rejoice  to  see  scores  of  missionaries 
sent  to  Oregon,  and  to  Liberia,  and  to  South 
America.  We  would  rejoice  to  see  scores 
started,  this  year,  to  China,  to  Palestine,  and 
to  ten  other  places  which  we  might  name,  and 
'  thirty  thousand  dollars '  demanded  for  each  of 
them,  till  a  million  were  called  for  in  the  name 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  73 

of  the  bleeding  Lamb.  And  then  we  should 
not  fear  but  that  the  holy  sympathies  awakened 
by  this  call,  would  be  all-suihcient  to  add,  if 
need  were,  ten  thousand  dollars  more,  to  purify 
our  own  dwellings,  and  to  preserve  from  dete- 
rioration and  death,  the  energies  of  our  own 
Church  and  country.  For  how  could  those 
charities  which  would  flow  abroad  so  freely 
and  liberally,  become  stinted  and  scanty  when 
needed  at  home. 

"Some  have  dreaded,  to  be  sure,  lest  this 
home  effort  should  so  absorb  the  sympathies 
and  resources  of  the  Church,  as  to  leave  little 
for  missions  abroad.  But  how  greatly  they 
erred.  While  two  thousand  dollars  were  being 
contributed  last  year,  for  the  '  Christian  Apolo- 
gist,' fears  were  excited  in  many  minds,  lest 
the  general  contributions  of  the  Ohio  confer- 
ence should  fall  short  of  former  precedents 
Was  this  the  result  ?  The  Lord,  Avho  loveth  a 
cheerful  giver,  was  with  his  people,  and  for 
heathens  abroad  so  moved  their  hearts,  (which 
had  been  overflowing  with  sympathy  for  the 
Germans,  till  charity  had  become  vehement 
and  needed  vent,)  that  they  laid  eleven  thous- 
and dollars  upon  the  altar,  an  oflering  of  a  I 
sweet  smelling  savor. 

*'The  circumstances  of  each  case  are  such, 
that  if  we  labor  and  contiibute  for  foreigners, 
much  more  should  we  feel  bound  to  do  it  for 
denizens,  and  for  such  as  will  soon  be  fellow 
citizens.  Self-preservation,  M-hich  is  the  '  first 
law  of  nature f^  as  well  as  charity,  which  is  the 
7 


74  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

first  law  of  grace,  binds  us  to  the  latter.  If 
crude  and  contaminating  elements  are  perpetu- 
ally intermixing  with  the  proper  constituents 
of  the  Church  and  the  state,  and  borrow  no 
refinement  nor  purity  from  the  intimate  contact, 
they  will  gradually  impart  their  nature  to  the 
bodies  civil  and  ecclesiastical.  And  it  is  peri- 
lous on  our  part  to  suffer  such  a  process.  What 
will  follow  in  due  time  ?  The  very  fountains 
which  refreshed  the  distant  regions  of  Africa, 
and  South  America,  and  Oregon,  will  them- 
selves at  length  become  corrupt;  and  if  they 
flow  at  all,  will  send  forth  to  the  nations,  not 
healing,  but  poisonous  waters. 

"  And  mark  this  interesting  fact :  Immigration 
from  Europe,  and  especially  from  Germany, 
ceases  not,  but  increases  constandy.  Floods 
of  life,  and  mind,  and  moral  energy,  are  setting 
in  upon  us.  A  paragraph  from  a  religious  pa- 
per just  fell  under  our  observation,  which,  like 
many  similar  notices,  admonishes  us.  It  reads 
as  follows : 

"  '  German  Emigrants. — A  letter  ftom  Bre- 
men, dated  September  26,  to  a  house  in  St. 
Louis,  says:  "Fifteen  vessels  are  up  at  this 
port  for  New  Orleans,  with  about  2000  emi- 
grants, nearly  all  of  whom  you  may  expect  at 
St.  Louis  ;  the  majority  of  them  are  respecta- 
ble and  wealthy."  ' 

"This  fleet  of  vessels,  then,  bears  to  our 
shores  more  persons  than  constitute  some  of 
the  tribes  to  which  we  furnish  missions  at  the 
expense  of  thousands.     Thus,  while  our  In- 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  75 

dian  population  is  diminishing,  and  perishing 
by  tribes,  our  immigrants  are  multiplying  ra- 
pidly. With  those,  the  tide  ebbs — with  these, 
it  flows.  Those  are  in  the  autumn  of  their 
national  existence,  seared  and  fast  fading  away ; 
these,  blooming  and  aspiring  like  vernal  plants, 
come  among  us  to  renew  their  youth,  and  put 
forth  new-born  energies  in  a  land  which  effec- 
tually solicits  the  avarice,  ambition,  and  all  the 
earthly  tempers  of  their  hearts,  by  unfolding 
to  them  the  prospect  of  acquisition  and  indul- 
gence." 

"  Now  while  we  occupy  the  field  which  is 
every  year  diminishing,  shall  we  neglect  that 
Avhich  is  so  rapidly  enlarging?  Shall  we  em- 
ploy our  energies  to  sow  the  seed  of  life  on 
soils,  which  time  is  wasting  and  threatens  to 
devour,  yet  refuse  to  cultivate  a  region  which, 
by  the  current  of  years,  gains  constant  accre- 
tions? Look  forward  half  a  century.  Then 
the  descendants  of  the  red  man  will  be  like  the 
leaves  of  the  forest,  when  winter  has  finished 
the  desolations  of  autumn,  and  the  savage  eye 
beholds  no  foliage,  and  the  savage  foot  presses 
upon  the  snows.  The  works  of  the  Church 
will  indeed  remain ;  for  if  not  on  earth,  yet  in 
heaven  some  of  these  sons  of  the  wilderness 
will  be  jewels  in  the  diadem  of  Jesus.  But 
we  can  scarcely  expect,  judging  from  the  past 
and  the  present,  that  the  Indians  in  successive 
generations  are  to  form  a  part  of  the  militant 
Church.  Not  so  with  the  Germans.  Their 
conversion  may  be  desired  not  only  for  them- 


76  ORIGIN    AND   PROGRESS   OF 

selves,  but  for  Zion's  sake  in  all  climes  and 
ages.  There  is  strength  in  German  character 
which  must  inevitably  give  it  influence.  Their 
mental  aptitudes — their  habits  of  secular  dili- 
gence and  carefulness,  should  enlist  concern, 
as  well  as  partial  admiration.  In  their  moral 
and  religious  states,  even  where  the  influence 
of  early  culture  has  been  sinister,  there  is  power, 
if  nothing  more — there  is  virtue  in  the  proper^ 
if  not  in  a  moral  sense.  Doubtless  they  will 
hereafter  bear  much  sway  in  constituting  the 
authorities  which  control  this  land — in  molding 
the  nation's  mind — in  fashioning  its  morals — 
and  in  making  up  the  sum  total  of  its  weal  or 
its  woe.  Let  them  become  a  leaven  of  malice, 
and  unless  saved  by  Omnipotence,  the  Church 
and  nation  are  undone.  Let  them  become  a 
leaven  of  holiness,  then  liberty,  and  science, 
and  heaven-born  religion,  may  concert  their 
holy  and  everlasting  jubilee.  Germany  is 
sparing  us  more  elements  of  moral  good  or 
evil,  than  any  other  nation  of  any  continent  can 
furnish  us,  whether  it  be  for  peace  or  war. 
What  shall  we  render  for  this  kindness  ?  Let 
us  receive  her  gifts ;  but  let  us  make  them,  by . 
reflex  agency,  subserve  her  own  moral  and 
spiritual  regeneration.  This  we  hope  to  do. 
This,  with  God's  aid,  we  are  now  preparing  to 
accomplish. 

"It  may  be  queried,  if  for  the  Germans  there 
can  be  any  hope?  It  may  be  judged,  that, 
like  Chorazin  and  the  cities  of  Gennesaret,  a 
'  woe '  has  irrevocably  gone  out  against  them. 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  77 

We  have  other  demonstrations.  They  are  not 
reprobates,  either  from  inveterate  moral  obdu- 
racy, or  from  judicial  bUndness  and  necessity. 
In  their  habits  of  thought  and  sentiment  they 
are  proven  not  to  be  invincible  to  the  power  of 
Gospel  truth.  Indeed,  their  condition  is  in 
some  respects  peculiarly  encouraging.  Those 
of  the  present  generation  may  almost  be  con- 
sidered as  not  personally  derelict  from  piety 
and  orthodoxy.  They  rather  inherit  the  liber- 
alism with  which  they  are  contaminated.  We 
may  assume  in  their  favor  more  than  this. 
Neither  they  nor  their  ancestors,  either  Catho- 
lic or  Protestant,  have  ever  enjoyed  the  oppor- 
tunity to  test  the  power  of  religion  as  inculca- 
ted by  Wesley,  and  by  his  sons  in  the  Gospel. 
This  should  not  be  forgotten.  All  that  which 
has  been  done  for  England  and  the  United 
States,  and  which  has  resulted  in  such  mag- 
nificent moral  revolutions  as  to  provoke  the  re- 
luctant admiration  of  a  Southey,  and  of  thous- 
ands like  hini,  is  yet  to  be  wrought  for  neglect- 
ed Germany. 

"  There  is  this  exception.  For  a  few  months 
past,  a  solitary  German  missionary,  anointed 
for  the  office  as  unexpectedly  as  David  was 
elected  to  the  throne,  has  preached  Jesus  to  the 
Germans.  Since  the  last  sitthig  of  the  Ohio 
conference,  another  has  joined  him.  What 
are  the  fruits  ?  To  go  no  farther,  we  have  a 
class  of  some  thirty  excellent  members  in  Cin- 
cinnati, another  of  thirty-five  members  in  Pitts- 
burg, another  of  eighteen  or  more  in  Wheeling, 


78  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

with  prospects  bright  as  unclouded  sunrise  still 
opening  upon  us.  No  mission  of  our  Church 
can,  in  equal  circumstances,  display  so  rich  a 
harvest.  Compare  it  with  any  of  our  foreign 
missions,  and  you  will  perceive  and  acknowl- 
edge this  to  be  the  fact.  One  short  visit  of 
brother  N.  to  Pittsburg,  has  resulted  in  an  ad- 
dition to  the  Church  of  twenty-five  souls.  An 
exhorter,  who  started  from  this  city  a  few  days 
since,  reached  Wheehng  in  his  travels;  and  be- 
ginning to  speak  the  word  of  life  with  no  san- 
guine expectations,  the  power  of  God  came 
down,  and  blessed,  indeed,  were  the  conse- 
quences. 

"  But  another  thing  is  needed  to  extend  the 
sphere,  and  multiply  the  fruits  of  these  prolific 
Gospel  labors.  It  is  the  support  and  circula- 
tion of  our  German  periodical. 

"The  'Apologist'  is  abroad.  The  'New 
Year'  gave  it  birth,  and  ere  this,  it  has  proba- 
bly been  cast  a  foundling  at  your  thresholds. 
We  beseech  you,  brethren,  receive  it — nurse 
it  to  maturity,  that  it  may  be  employed,  through 
a  long  and  useful  life,  as  an  instrument  of  mer- 
cy to  open  the  eyes  of  the  blind,  and  proclaim 
liberty  to  a  multitude  of  captives.  Brethren, 
can  we  appeal  in  vain  for  your  aid  to  consum- 
mate an  enterprise  so  noble,  so  hopeful,  so  ev- 
ery way  desirable  ?  You  ask,  '  What  is  to  be 
done?'  Much — very  much.  You  must  in 
part  contribute  the  very  element  to  sustain  the 
being  which  you  gave  it.  By  your  beneficence 
it  began  to  breathe,  and  move,  and  speak.    By 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  79 

your  paternal  watchfulness  it  must  be  cherish- 
ed in  its  infancy,  till  it  can,  without  your  fos- 
tering, look  to  its  own  concerns.  You  have 
done  a  noble  part,  and  so  much  the  greater  pity 
that  all  your  toil  should  go  for  nought — that 
your  works  should  begin  to  go  to  ruin  while 
not  yet  finished.  We  deprecate  the  shame. 
You  have  laid  out  thousands  to  construct  a 
strong  foundation,  which  now  stands  to  be 
gazed  on  by  the  world.  Desert  not  the  enter- 
prise. Add  a  few  hundreds  more.  Half  a 
thousand  will  complete  the  sum  originally  con- 
templated, without  which  our  plans  are  all  de- 
ranged, and  our  charities  all  periled.  Thus  do 
we  find  fresh  motives,  arising  from  circum- 
stances, to  rouse  our  energies  in  this  good  work. 
"  We  appeal  to  you,  then,  for  five  or  six  hun- 
dred dollars,  to  make  up  the  three  thousand. 
Furthermore,  we  want  every  possible  effort  to 
be  made,  by  every  minister  and  every  member, 
to  obtain  subscribers  for  the  Apologist.  The 
crisis  has  come  at  last.  We  must  now  briefly 
sacrifice  all,  or  save  all  by  a  little  added  labor 
and  benevolence.  Shall  we  not,  then,  bestir 
ourselves  ?  To  think  of  a  retreat  from  ground 
so  nobly  won,  so  advantageous  to  the  occu- 
pants, so  fortified  and  strengthened  by  past 
diligence,  gives  us  the  heart-ache.  We  would 
rather  build  the  rising  walls  with  the  sword  (of 
the  Spirit)  in  one  hand,  and  the  trowel  in  the 
other.  Rather  than  fail,  we  are  resolved  to 
make  some  sacrifices.  Help  us,  we  entreat 
you,  in  this  labor  of  love  and  mercy.    Do  not 


80  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

fear  that  regard  for  this,  will  divert  the  sympa- 
thies of  Zion  from  other  enterprises.  It  is  meet 
that  our  charities  should  be  varied — that  they 
should  flow  in  many  channels,  and  be  dispersed 
abroad.  Like  the  student  of  nature  who  would 
frequent  her  whole  immensity — who  searches 
ocean,  earth,  and  heaven,  converting  the  whole 
creation  into  a  volume  of  rich  instruction,  not 
content  until  he  has  scanned  each  page  and  line  ; 
so  the  Christian  philanthropist,  with  busy,  pry- 
ing charity,  should  fix  his  eye,  and  fasten  his 
warm  affections  on  every  interest  of  humanity, 
of  every  age  and  clime — of  time  and  of  eter- 
nity. The  benevolence  of  a  Christian  cannot, 
like  that  of  Jesus,  glow  and  spread  as  do  the 
splendors  of  the  sun ;  still  it  may  be  far-reach- 
ing and  diversified.  Christian  charity  ema- 
nates from  God ;  and  to  the  streams,  as  to  the 
Fountain,  belongs  appropriate  perfection.  To 
this  pertains  infinity,  whose  incident  is,  un- 
ceasing, boundless  affluence  ;  to  that,  the  grace 
of  limited,  but  various  beneficence.  This  is 
a  sun  of  blazing  fires,  lighting  up  immensity, 
and  binding  worlds  and  systems  in  secure  and 
blissful  concord ;  that,  is  His  mellowed  beams, 
reflecting  rainbow  charms,  whose  grace  depends 
on  no  single  hue,  but  on  a  rich  variety  of  shades, 
and  on  the  perfect  harmony  with  which  the 
colors  blend.  L.  L.  Hamline, 

Wm.  H.  Raper. 
"  Cincinnati,  Jan.  4,  1839." 
Having  taken  up  much  more  space  than  was 
at  first  intended,  in  giving  an  account  of  the 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS,  81 

commencement  and  progress  of  the  Christian 
Apologist,  we  will  proceed  in  regular  order  to 
notice  the  German  missions,  as  they  were  es- 
tablished from  time  to  time,  in  the  different 
conferences. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

REV.  PETER  SCHMUCKER's  FIRST  AP- 
POINTMENT TO  CINCINNATI,  1838, 
AND  THE  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE 
MISSION     AT     PITTSBURG. 

In  the  autumn  of  1838,  brother  Schmucker, 
formerly  a  successful  and  experienced  minister 
in  the  Lutheran  Church,  was  appointed  mis- 
sionary to  Cincinnati,  and  brother  Nast  editor 
of  the  Christian  Apologist.  Brother  Schmuck- 
er labored  there  two  years,  with  great  success. 
At  the  close  of  the  first  year,  he  reported  eighty 
members  in  society;  and  at  the  close  of  the 
second,  one  hundred ;  and,  but  for  the  removal 
of  many  of  the  members,  the  number  would 
have  been  considerably  greater. 

During  the  fall,  brother  Nast,  by  the  invita- 
tion of  some  of  the  stationed  preachers,  visited 
Pittsburg,  and  after  preaching  to  the  Germans 
several  weeks,  formed  a  society  of  thirty  mem- 
bers. The  following  report,  published  in  the 
Pittsburg  Conference  Journal,  "gives  an  inter- 
esting account,"  says  the  editor  of  the  Western 


82  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

Christian  Advocate,  *'  of  the  fruits  of  his  visit 
to  Pittsburg." 

''Pittsburg,  Oct.  23,  1838. 
"Brother  Hunter, — I  cannot  leave  this 
city  w^ithout  addressing,  through  your  paper,  a 
few  lines  to  my  beloved  English  brethren.  I 
had  been  invited  by  your  worthy  preachers  to 
pay  a  missionary  visit  to  my  German  country- 
men in  this  city.  I  followed  the  Macedonian 
cry,  and  would  most  devoutly  acknowledge  the 
goodness  of  Almighty  God,  whose  providence 
brought  me  here,  and  whose  gracious  help  was 
afforded,  to  effect  what  my  brethren  in  the  min- 
istry entreated  the  Lord  so  eflectually  for,  even 
to  feed  the  little  flock  of  German  sheep  M^ho 
Bought  shelter  in  your  fold  during  the  last  sum- 
mer. I  found  them  about  ten  in  number,  most- 
ly males — husbands  without  their  wives.  Their 
number  has  increased  to  thirty-five,  so  that  we 
could  form  two  classes.  Several  of  the  wives 
have  been  baptized  into  one  spirit  with  their 
husbands  ;  about  fifteen  in  all,  have  experienced 
religion  during  my  stay.  I  could  not  preach 
to  large  congregations,  as  we  had  no  means 
of  making  the  appointment  generally  known . 
among  the  German  public.  But  as  many  as 
came  to  hear  the  word  of  life,  were  made  to 
feel  that  God  was  present.  Several  told  me 
they  would  join  as  soon  as  the  society  would 
get  a  regular  preacher.  The  people  are  truly 
craving  the  sincere  milk  of  the  Gospel;  no 
where  have  I  found  it  so  easy  to  preach.  I  la- 
bored a  whole  year  at  Cincinnati  for  twenty- 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  83 

four  members.  I  trust  the  work  will  go  on, 
and  prove  like  the  leaven  which  a  woman  took 
and  mixed  with  three  measures  of  meal.  Sev- 
eral of  the  members  immediately  entered  upon 
the  right  spirit  of  the  work — they  went  home", 
not  only  to  pray  for  themselves,  but  to  pray 
with  and  for  their  friends  and  neighbors.  To 
give  you  some  instances — I  staid  all  night  with 
a  family,  where  the  husband  was  a  member, 
but  had  not  a  clear  witness  of  his  acceptance 
with  God.  The  Lord  met  us  at  the  family 
altar  in  the  morning.  The  brother  went  then 
to  his  work,  but  returned  in  a  short  time,  sigh- 
ing and  heavy  laden — he  said  he  could  not 
work — he  wanted  to  pray  more.  We  called  in 
his  wife.  The  Lord  visited  us  in  power ;  and 
whilst  he  was  blessed,  his  wife  began  to  cry 
for  mercy,  and  has  also,  since  that  time,  expe- 
rienced religion.  I  visited  another  family,  of 
which  only  the  father  was  a  member  of  the 
German  class.  He  was  seeking  religion.  I 
prayed  with  the  family :  the  mother  became 
first  affected,  then  her  son,  then  her  son-in-law, 
then  his  wife,  and  even  a  Roman  Catholic  girl, 
who  lived  in  the  family,  fell  under  conviction. 
The  whole  family  joined  the  Church,  and  some 
experienced  religion.  The  son-in-law  told  us, 
in  love  feast,  that  he  never  before  had  offered 
up  one  prayer,  or  felt  uneasy  concerning  his 
future  state ;  he  promises  to  become  as  stout  a 
champion  in  the  good  cause,  as  he  was  reckless 
before.  I  cannot  describe  the  affecting  scenes 
which   I   witnessed.     But  let  me   relate  one 


84  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

more.  A  brother  who  was  very  zealous,  al- 
though opposed  by  his  wife,  had  a  meeting 
appointed  in  his  house.  I  preached  on  the  third 
and  fourth  verses  of  the  fifth  chapter  of  Matthew, 
and  opened  the  door  of  the  Church.  His  wife 
was  the  first  that  literally  rushed  forward,  seiz- 
ed my  hand,  confessed  herself  a  great  sinner, 
and  told  the  congregation,  with  a  flood  of  tears, 
how  wickedly  she  had  opposed  her  husband, 
and  how  patiently  he  took  it:  he  would  not 
cease  to  pray  for  her.  She  experienced  relig- 
ion the  following  morning,  and  will,  no  doubt, 
be  a  helpmate  to  her  precious  husband.  They 
are  an  excellent  couple,  living  by  faith  in  the 
Son  of  God,  who  has  given  himself  for  them. 
In  love  feast,  she  sat  in  the  middle  of  the  con- 
gregation, and  when  she  rose  to  give  her  testi- 
mony, she  could  not  content  herself  to  stay 
where  she  was,  but  came  out,  walked  up  the 
aisle  to  the  pulpit,  and  then  turning  and  facing 
the  congregation,  she  told,  in  language  that 
would  have  melted  the  hardest  heart,  what  the 
Lord  Jesus  had  done  for  her  poor  soul. 

"My  dear  brethren,  the  Germans  whilst  un- 
converted, turn  an  entirely  deaf  ear  to  religion, 
but  when  they  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of 
God,  and  find  him  to  be  the  good  Shepherd, 
they  become,  generally,  dead  to  the  world, 
and  make  religion  their  all-absorbing  theme. 
Thanks  be  to  the  good  Lord,  the  friend  of  sin- 
ners, that  he  has  put  it  in  the  hearts  of  the 
Pittsburg  Methodists  to  feel  for  their  German 
brethren,  and  to  provide  a  missionary  for  them. 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  85 

Divine  Providence,  which  is  ever  waiting  to 
prosper  every  good  desire  and  resolution,  has 
met  you  in  this  matter,  and  provided  a  man,  to 
whose  instrumentality  some  of  them  ascribe 
their  awakening.  Go  on,  my  dear  brethren — 
be  not  weary  in  cultivating  every  inch  of  Im- 
raanuel's  ground,  and  be  sure  that  the  German 
population  will  yield  a  crop  that  will  make  you 
rejoice  through  all  eternity. 

"  I  would  also  tender  my  sincere  thanks  to 
the  brethren  for  their  kindness,  and  the  interest 
they  manifested  in  behalf  of  our  gi-eat  and  good 
enterprise — I  mean  the  Apologist.  Had  I 
time,  I  would  say  much  upon  this  subject. 
Please  take  a  copy  of  this  paper,  if  you  wish 
to  communicate  the  blessings  of  Methodism  to 
our  German  fellow  citizens,  and  brethren  in  the 
Lord  !  They  will,  in  all  probability,  pay  you 
the  money  at  the  end  of  the  year,  and  perhaps, 
thank  you  in  heaven  for  it. 

"  Five  years  ago,  I  left  Pittsburg  with  noth- 
ing but  blackness  and  darkness  before  me — I 
went  away  weeping,  and  said,  on  the  point  of 
despair.  Though  he  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust 
in  him.  Blessed  be  God,  the  Son  of  right- 
eousness rose  upon  my  hopeless  soul  with 
healing  in  his  wings.  I  returned  to  preach 
that  Jesus  will  not  pass  by  any,  else  he  would 
have  passed  by  me.  Truly,  those  that  go 
weeping,  bearing  precious  seed,  shall  surely 
return  with  joy,  bringing  their  sheaves  with 
them.  The  Lord  keep  us  faithful  to  the  end ! 
"  Youis,  in  the  Gospel,  Wm.  Nast." 
8 


86  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

Brother  Nast's  duties,  a;S  editor,  calling  him 
to  Cincinnati,  he  soon  had  to  leave  the  little 
flock;  and  the  Rev.  J.  M.  Hartman,  who  was 
a  fruit  of  the  Wesleyan  mission,  in  Germany, 
was  appointed  to  take  charge  of  them.  He 
labored  here  for  two  years.  At  the  close  of 
the  first  year,  he  reported  one  hundred  mem- 
bers. There  was,  however,  a  falling  off,  in 
the  second  year,  which  was  caused,  partly,  by 
a  man  of  strange  and  enthusiastic  character, 
who  succeeded  in  getting  some  of  the  members 
to  follow  him.  In  this  place,  our  brethren 
have  labored  under  great  embarrassments,  for 
want  of  a  suitable  house  of  worship ;  and  the 
prospects  of  this  mission  have  been  rather  dis- 
couraging for  the  last  few  years.  The  arrival 
of  Rev.  C.  Doering,  however,  during  the  past 
year,  has  been  beneficial.  His  labors  have 
been  blessed ;  and  he  now  reports  that  the 
prospects  are  more  encouraging. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1838,  we  had,  as 
the  reader  will  have  observed,  two  missions, 
supplied  v/ith  preachers. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

ESTABLISHMENT  OF  GERMAN   MISSIONS 

IN    1839 COMMENCEMENT    OF    THE 

GERMAN   MISSION   AT    WHEELING. 

In  January,  of  this  year,  John  Swahlen,  who 
was  converted  during  the  first  year  of  brother 
Nast's  labors  in  Cincinnati,  was  sent  out,  as  an 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  87 

exhorter,  and  also  as  an  obtainer  of  subscribers 
for  the  Christian  Apologist.  When  he  arrived 
at  Wheeling,  he  found  the  Germans  hungry  for 
the  bread  of  life,  and  immediately  commenced 
exhorting  them  to  seek  the  Lord.  The  word 
took  effect  at  once,  and  soon  a  society  of  twen- 
ty-six members  was  formed.  The  following 
extract  from  a  letter  to  brother  Nast,  shows 
how  he  commenced  his  labors : 

"  TJlieeling,  Dec.  26,  1838. 
"Dear  Brother, — Last  Saturday  evening 
I  arrived  here,  and  was  kindly  received  by  the 
brethren,  both  German  and  English.  An  ap- 
pointment was  immediately  given  out  for  Sab- 
bath afternoon  and  evening.  For  Monday  I 
appointed  a  class  meeting,  and  invited  all  that 
were  in  earnest  to  save  their  souls.  After  class 
meeting,  I  read  the  General  Rules,  and  gave  an 
invitation  to  join  the  Church.  Twelve  came 
forward,  and  gave  me  their  hands.  Christmas 
morning,  at  six  o'clock,  I  held  a  prayer  meet- 
ing— at  ten  and  three  o'clock,  I  tried  to  exhort 
them  from  the  word  of  God.  The  Lord  was 
with  me — four  joined,  and  a  woman  cried 
aloud  for  mercy.  In  the  afternoon,  God  work- 
ed again  to  my  astonishment.  Several  were 
convicted,  and  cried  aloud.  Some  professors 
were  stirred  up  to  seek  for  more  of  the  love  of 
God.  One  was  brought  into  the  liberty  of  the 
children  of  God.  Pray  for  us.  It  is  the  work 
of  the  Lord.  The  brethren  think  I  should  stay 
here  till  the  river  opens.  I  do  not  feel  as  if 
I  could  do  any  thing  myself;  yet  I  believe  that 


88  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

God  makes  use  of  instruments.  Last  night  we 
again  had  meeting,  and  three  were  converted. 
To-morrow  morning,  at  six  o'clock,  we  will 
have  prayer  meeting.  Remember  us  earnestly 
at  a  throne  of  grace. 

"  Your  sincere  brother  in  Christ, 

"John  Swahlen." 
Brother  Swahlen  returned  to  Cincinnati,  re- 
ported his  success,  was  licensed  to  preach,  and 
sent  back  to  Wheeling  as  a  missionary.     After 
laboring  eighteen  months,  he  reported  eighty- 
three  members  in  society,  and  the  erection  of 
f   a  new  meeting-house,  40  feet  by  40,  and  two 
I    stories  high.    This  was  the  first  German  Meth- 
i    odist  Episcopal   church   ever  built  on  earth. 
This  mission  has  been,  in  a  good  degree,  pros- 
perous ever  since  its  commencement,  and  has 
undoubtedly  been  the  means  of  much  good  to 
the  German  population  of  that  place.     It  now 
numbers  one  hundred  and  two  members. 

Monroe  Mission. — This  mission  was  es- 
tablished by  the  Pittsburg  conference,  in  the 
year  1839.  After  a  great  many  souls  were 
awakened  and  converted  to  God,  through 
the  instrumentality  of  brother  Swahlen,  and 
brother  Riemenschneider,  from  Wheeling,  then 
a  local  preacher,  Rev.  C.  C.  Best,  of  the  Erie 
conference,  an  American  German,  was  appoint- 
ed to  take  charge  of  it ;  with  an  aged  brother, 
by  the  name  of  Tuescher,  a  local  preacher,  as 
his  assistant.  This  mission  then  embraced 
what  is  now  called  Marietta  mission ;  and  its 
territory  was  seventy  miles  in  length,  and  forty 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  89 

in  breadth,  and  was  one  of  the  roughest  parts 
of  the  state  of  Ohio.  At  the  close  of  the  first 
year  the  missionary  reported,  in  society,  one 
hundred  and  sixty-five  members,  of  whom  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  fell  the  next  year  into  the 
Marietta  mission.  In  July,  1840,  brother  J. 
Dancker,  formerly  a  Lutheran  preacher,  was 
appointed  to  the  Monroe  mission,  properly  so 
called.  He  labored  there  two  years  with  great 
success,  receiving  one  hundred  and  three  mem- 
bers into  the  society,  in  spite  of  the  violent  op- 
position and  persecution  of  a  Lutheran  preach- 
er, who  spread  among  his  people  many  false- 
hoods concerning  the  Methodists.  Once  he 
abused  brother  Dancker  from  the  pulpit  in 
such  a  manner,  that  his  elder  became  curious 
to  see  and  hear  so  bad  a  man.  He  accordingly 
went  to  the  house  where  brother  Dancker  was 
preaching,  and  stood  outside  to  hear  the  ser- 
mon ;  the  result  of  which  was,  the  conviction 
and  conversion  of  himself  and  his  eldest  son. 
Many  such  instances  might  be  related.  Broth- 
er Dancker  mentions,  also,  in  his  last  report 
from  that  mission,  an  interesting  circumstance, 
in  the  following  words  :  "  There  was  one  ap- 
pointment on  my  circuit,  where  I  had  preached 
for  two  years  every  four  weeks ;  but  I  saw  no 
fruit  at  all  of  my  labor.  I  appointed  a  two 
days'  meeting,  to  bid  them  farewell.  Sermons, 
exhortations  and  prayers  followed  each  other, 
but  all  seemed  in  vain.  On  Sabbath  evening  I 
gave  them  the  last  invitation  to  the  mourners' 
bench,  but  none  came.  With  a  deep  sigh,  I 
8- 


90  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS    OF 

committed  the  souls  of  the  people  to  God,  and 
spoke  the  benediction.  After  the  benediction, 
we  sang  a  few  verses  in  conclusion;  during 
which,  five  persons  fell  on  their  knees,  and 
cried  for  mercy :  four  of  them  were  converted 
the  same  evening.  We  then  held  on,  and  the 
work  of  God  spread  in  this  neighborhood." 
In  July,  1842,  brother  H.  Bahrenhurg,  a  spir- 
itual son  of  brother  Dancker,  was  appointed  to 
this  flourishing  mission.  He  also  labored  with 
success,  and  the  society  numbers  now  two  hun- 
dred members.  They  have  built  a  large  house 
of  worship. 

German  Mission  witJmi  the  bounds  of  Cin- 
cinnati  and  Lebanon  district,  Ohio  confer- 
ence.— This  mission  was  established  in  1839, 
and  A.  Miller  was  appointed  missionary.  Soon 
after  he  arrived,  he  received  a  letter  from  Bishop 
Soule,  who  has  ever  taken  a  deep  interest  in 
these  missions,  in  which  he  definitely  pointed 
out  his  field  of  labor.  The  following  are  the 
closing  remarks  of  the  Bishop's  letter:  "It  is 
very  desirable  that  you  should  obtain  a  knowl- 
edge of  any  German  settlements  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  above  named  places,  and  visit  them  as 
time  and  opportunity  will  permit;  and  while 
we  would  not  neglect  the  American  Germans, 
foreigners  should  be  considered  as  having  a 
paramount  claim  to  our  missionary  labors.  In 
all  your  missionary  visitations,  you  will  take  a 
deep  interest  in  obtaining  patronage  for  the 
'Apologist,'  and  in  circulating  the  German 
hymn  book,  and  such  tracts  as  are  published  in 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  91 

the  German  language.  And  may  the  grace  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  abide  with  you  always, 
and  through  your  instrumentality,  abound  to 
the  salvation  of  the  people  you  are  appointed 
to  serve." 

During  this  year,  the  missionary  visited  the 
Scioto  country,  and  other  points ;  and  at  the 
ensuing  conference,  reported  favorably  to  the 
establishment  of  several  new  missions.  His 
report  is  as  follows  : 

'' Zanesville,  0.,  October  1,  1840. 

"  Dear  Brethren, — In  performing  my  du- 
ties as  your  missionary  for  the  past  year,  I  have 
visited  the  different  German  settlements  within 
the  bounds  of  the  Cincinnati  and  Lebanon  dis- 
tricts ;  and  have  also,  according  to  the  instruc- 
tions of  Bishop  Soule,  attended  all  the  quarterly 
meetings  of  the  mission  in  Cincinnati ;  besides 
visiting,  in  the  course  of  the  year,  the  Germans 
in  different  parts  of  Ohio,  distributing  religious 
tracts,  (fee,  and  preaching  to  them  where  con- 
gregations could  be  collected.  The  appoint- 
ment of  a  missionary  to  this  field  was  an  ex- 
periment; and  the  efforts  of  your  missionary 
have  not  been  so  generally  successful  as  may 
have  been  anticipated  by  the  friends  of  mis- 
sions; yet  it  is  a  matter  of  rejoicing,  that  the 
efforts  made,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  have  not 
been  altogether  unsuccessful.  Many,  it  is  be- 
lieved, have  been  brought  to  serious  reflection, 
while  a  few  have  been  happily  converted  to 
God,  and  are  now  living  stones  in  the  spiritual 
temple.     There  is  also  good  reason  to  hope 


92  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

that  the  tracts,  our  Articles  of  Faith,  and  the 
General  Rules  of  our  Discipline,  which  have 
been  distributed,  will  be  as  seed  sown  on  good 
ground.  The  Christian  Apologist  has  also 
been  extensively  distributed,  and  in  this  way 
many  who  heretofore  have  been  ignorant  of  our 
doctrines  and  usages,  have  been  enlightened 
and  instructed;  and  whether  they  all  receive 
the  truth,  and  practice  upon  it,  or  not,  we  have 
the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  we  have  en- 
deavored to  place  it  within  their  reach. 

"  It  was  also  expected  of  your  missionary  that 
he  should  make  observations,  and  report  in  re- 
ference to  the  prospect  of  our  future  operations 
among  the  Germans  in  those  regions.  So  far 
as  observation  and  inquiry  have  been  made,  we 
see  no  reason  for  discouragement.  However, 
we  cannot  expect  that  all  the  Germans  to  whom 
we  preach  will  immediately  embrace  our  doc- 
trine, and  conform  to  our  usages.  They  all 
have  been  educated  in  their  own  country  to  be- 
lieve in  some  system  or  form  of  religion,  and 
will  cleave,  with  a  tenacity  peculiar  to  them- 
selves, to  their  respective  creeds ;  and  nothing 
but  the  force  of  truth,  under  the  influence  of 
the  Divine  Spirit,  will  induce  them  to  change 
their  opinions,  and  to  embrace  the  doctrine  of 
a  present  salvation  by  faith,  and  the  witness  of 
the  Spirit,  as  taught  by  our  Church.  The  ques- 
tion, however,  whether  something  can  be  done 
toward  the  conversion  of  Germans  who  have 
immigrated  to  this  country,  is  no  longer  pro- 
blematical;   the  hundreds   that  have   already 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  93 

been  converted  in  different  parts,  through  the 
labors  of  our  missionaries,  give  full  proof  that 
much  may  be  done  in  this  interesting  field. 
But  here,  as  in  all  our  operations,  a  proper 
method  should  be  observed.  And  your  mis- 
sionary would  beg  leave  to  suggest,  with  defer- 
ence and  submission,  the  impracticability  of 
assigning  to  any  one  man  as  extensive  a  field 
of  labor  as  that  which  he  occupied  in  the  past 
year,  especially  where  the  greater  part  of  the 
Germans  are  native  Americans,  and  can  under- 
stand the  English  language.  We  believe  that 
the  foreigners  who  have  left  the  homes  of  their 
youth,  and  have  come  to  seek  a  permanent  resi- 
dence in  our  far-famed  land  of  liberty,  should 
be  the  especial  object  of  our  sympathy:  to  this 
class  our  attention  should  be  first  directed. 
Among  them  our  efforts,  so  far,  have  been  most 
successful ;  and  in  reference  to  them  we  may 
say  truly,  '  The  harvest  is  great.'  We  find 
this  industrious  class  of  our  population  by 
thousands  in  the  west:  not  only  in  the  popu- 
lous cities,  but  in  the  fertile  valleys — on  the 
sterile  hills,  and  through  the  dreary  marshes ; 
all  struggling  hard  for  the  things  of  this  life. 
It  is  estimated  that  their  number  in  the  United 
States  is  already  1,500,000,  and  that  their  an- 
nual increase,  by  immigration,  is  from  thirty  to 
forty  thousand.  Many  of  them  are  like  sheep 
without  a  shepherd ;  their  condition  demands 
the  sympathy,  prayers,  and  benevolent  exer- 
tions of  a  Christian  comfnunity.  And  is  it  not 
high  time  that  the  most  efficient  means  should 


94  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

be  in  progress  for  their  moral  elevation  and 
spiritual  improvement  ?  One  of  the  strongest 
bonds  that  holds  the  different  parts  of  our  coun- 
try together,  is  the  religion  of  the  Gospel ;  and 
one  of  the  brightest  ornaments  of  our  Church 
is  her  zeal  in  spreading  the  Gospel  among  the 
poor  and  the  destitute.  And  your  missionary, 
after  a  survey  of  the  interesting  field  spread 
before  us,  cannot  too  strongly  recommend  to 
this  conference  the  importance  of  occupying 
this  field,  as  far  as  our  means  will  admit  of  our 
doing  so.  We  are  aware  that  various  objec- 
tions will  present  themselves  to  any  extended 
exertions  in  behalf  of  the  Germans.  The  most 
important  of  all  is,  the  scarcity  of  funds  to 
support  missionaries  among  them  until  they 
are  able  to  support  the  Gospel  among  them- 
selves. But  we  believe  that  the  benevolence 
and  zeal  of  the  Church  will  cause  this  objec- 
tion to  vanish  like  the  morning  cloud,  and  like 
the  early  dew  ;  and  that  if  this  subject  were  pro- 
perly brought  before  our  friends,  and  a  call  was 
made  for  the  support  of  the  Gospel  among  these 
strangers  that  have  come  among  us,  there  would 
be  many  willing  hearts  and  liberal  hands  to  aid 
in  this  important  work. 

"  In  Cincinnati  the  work  is  going  on  glorious- 
ly, and  will  not  be  abandoned.  In  German- 
town  we  have  a  small  society,  (eight  in  num- 
ber, now  attached  to  one  of  the  English  classes, 
led  by  a  man  who  speaks  both  languages,) 
waiting  with  anxiety  4o  know  if  they  shall  have 
a  preacher  the  ensuing  year.     At  Dayton,  and 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  95 

its  vicinity,  we  believe  there  is  an  important 
opening.  At  Portsmouth,  and  alons"  the  mouth 
of  the  Scioto  River,  inchidincr  Piketon  and 
West  Union,  a  missionary  mig'ht  be  profitably 
employed.  Also,  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  'the  field 
is  ripe  unto  harvest,'  and  many  wait  with  anx- 
iety to  see  the  arrival  of  a  missionary.  Final- 
ly, the  door  is  now  opened  before  us,  and  the 
indications  of  Providence  all  appear  favorable. 
It  now  remains  for  us,  as  a  Church,  to  say 
whether  this  field  shall  be  cultivated,  until  it 
shall  be  as  '  the  garden  of  the  Lord ;'  or  wheth- 
er it  shall  remain  a  moral  waste,  and  scores  and 
hundreds  be  lost  for  ever,  when  we,  w^ith  but 
small  exertion,  might  be  the  means  of  their  sal- 
vation. The  good  work  has  commenced  among 
the  Germans,  and  could  our  brethren,  who  have 
manifested  an  interest  in  their  behalf,  hear  and 
understand  the  language  of  gratitude  and  praise 
that  flows  from  their  lips,  in  their  class  and 
love  feast  meetings,  they  would  all  say,  so  far 
as  the  instrumentality  of  the  Church  is  con- 
cerned, the  work  shall  go  on.  May  it  spread 
and  deepen  and  widen,  until  thousands  of  the 
Germans  shall  have  come  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  truth !  is  the  devout  prayer  of  your  servant 
in  the  Gospel  of  Christ, 

"  Adam  Miller." 
In  accordance  with  the  suggestions  in   the 
above  report,  several  new  missions  were  estab- 
lished at  this  conference;  a  German  mission 
district  was  also    formed,    and   Adam   Miller 


96  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

was   appointed  superintendent  of  the  German 
missions  in  the  Ohio  conference. 

German  Missions  in  the  State  of  Indiana. 
— In  the  spring  of  1839,  a  society  was  formed 
in  Lawrenceburg,  principally  by  the  labors  of 
brother  Nast,  who  frequently  visited  the  place. 
During  the  ensuing  summer,  J.  M.  Hofer,  one 
of  the  first  converts  of  the  Cincinnati  mission, 
removed  to  Lawrenceburg,  and  acted  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  class-leader  and  exhorter,  and  a  short 
time  afterward  was  licensed  to  preach.  In  the 
fall  of  this  year,  an  appropriation  was  made  for 
the  support  of  a  mission  within  the  bounds  of 
the  Indiana  conference,  and  Rev.  J.  Kisling,  an 
American  German,  and  local  preacher  in  the 
English  Church,  was  appointed  missionary, 
who  traveled  extensively  through  the  south- 
eastern part  of  the  state,  but  did  not  accomplish 
much  in  forming  societies  the  first  year.  The 
second  year,  however,  was  more  prosperous. 
Brother  Kisling,  having  been  re-appointed, 
formed  a  number  of  societies,  and  a  regular 
circuit. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

STATE     OF     THE     GERMAN     MISSIONS     IN 
1840. 

We  have  already  seen  the  work  gradually 
spreading ;  and  it  is  cheering  to  reflect,  that  as 
the  door  was  opened,  a  new  supply  of  help  was 
furnished  by  the  Lord  of  the  harvest.     At  the 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  97 

latter  part  of  this  year,  we  had  nine  regular 
missionaries  in  the  field,  besides  an  editor  of  a 
religious  paper.  Brother  Schmucker  closed 
his  two  years'  labor  in  Cincinnati,  in  the  fall  of 
this  year.  During  his  labors  in  this  mission, 
he  preached  frequently  in  the  market  house, 
and  did  much  in  visiting  the  Germans  from 
house  to  house,  and  distributing  Bibles,  Testa- 
ments and  tracts,  among  the  destitute.  He 
also  made  a  practice  of  visiting  the  steamboats 
at  the  river,  distributing  many  tracts  among  the 
German  boatmen.  The  touching  incidents 
contained  in  the  following  articles,  written  by 
him  for  the  Western  Christian  Advocate,  show 
that  his  labors  were  not  in  vain. 

"  Dear  Brethren, — Will  you  be  so  kind 
as  to  let  me  speak  a  few  words,  through  your 
columns,  to  the  friends  of  rehgious  tracts  and 
tract  societies.  I  have  been  engaged  in  the 
distribution  of  religious  tracts  for  many  years, 
and  always  looked  upon  this  way  of  doing 
good  as  bread  cast  upon  the  water ;  some  I 
found  in  this  life,  and  some  I  expect  to  find  in 
heaven.  I  have  distributed  about  one  thousand 
or  twelve  hundred  tracts  in  the  city  of  Cincin- 
nati, on  the  streets,  in  houses,  and  on  steam- 
boats. I  have  been  refused  by  some — their 
reasons  I  do  not  wish  to  make  public ;  but  they 
were  polite  refusals,  such  as  need  not  cause  ill 
feelings  at  all.  By  nearly  all,  the  tracts  were 
thankfully  received,  and  I  had  interesting  relig- 
ious conversation  with  many,  such  as,  I  think, 
we  shall  recollect,  when  we  get  home  to  our 
9 


yS  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

Father's  house.  On  steamboats,  too,  I  have 
met  with  most  kind  receptions,  even  by  some 
of  the  boat  captains.  On  one  boat,  the  captain 
of  which  could  speak  the  German  language, 
nearly  all  the  hands  were  Germans,  and  could 
read ;  I  gave  them  all  tracts  and  religious  peri- 
odicals. They  took  their  hats  and  caps  off, 
and  thanked  me,  and  asked  me  not  to  forget 
them ;  but  on  their  return  from  New  Orleans 
to  visit  them  again — and  said  they  had  not 
heard  a  sermon  in  their  language  in  three 
years.  They  told  me,  without  asking  them, 
they  were  all  Protestants.  I  told  them,  in  the 
words  of  the  poet,  in  the  sailor's  song,  '  My 
German  friends,  "  You  are  far  from  God,  and 
far  from  home;"  but  you  have  souls,  try  to 
save  them.'  When  I  mentioned  home,  a  young 
man  went  away  in  tears.  Now,  friends  of  Je- 
sus, what  shall  we  do  ?  Ought  we  not  to  put 
Bibles  and  tracts  in  their  hands,  to  direct  them 
in  the  way,  to  comfort  them  in  their  sickness 
and  affliction?  Can  we  love  Jesus,  and  not 
love  poor  souls  bought  by  his  blood  ?  No  mat- 
ter how  vile,  miserable,  wretched  and  degraded 
sin  may  have  made  them,  they  have  blood- 
bought  souls ;  and  this  consideration  alone,  is 
enough  to  make  us  concerned  for  them,  and  by 
all  means  in  our  power,  endeavor  to  save  them 
from  their  sins,  and  the  awful  consequences  of 
sin.  But  some  will  say,  '  If  we  put  Bibles 
and  tracts  in  their  hands,  they  will  not  read 
them — perhaps  throAV  them  away.'  This  is 
takinof  a  discouramng;  view  of  the  case.     Some 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  99 

will  not  read  them,  but  others  will,  which  may- 
be the  means  of  their  conversion  to  God,  as  in 
the  following  instance: 

"  Some  years  ago,  when  traveling  on  one  of 
the  highways  to  the  west,  I  met  a  number  of 
German  families,  and  gave  each  a  religious 
tract,  that  would  receive  it ;  but,  to  ray  aston- 
ishment, when  looking  back,  I  saw  some  of 
them  throw  them  away.  Five  or  six  years 
afterward,  I  happened  to  be  in  a  prayer  meet- 
ing, which  was  led  by  a  young  German ;  after 
the  meeting  was  over,  he  came  to  me,  and  said, 
'  Brother,  I  know  your  face,  but  don't  know 
your  name.  Are  you  not  the  man  that  met  a 
number  of  Germans  on  their  way  to  the  west, 
near  Cumberland,  and  gave  each  one  a  tract  ?• 
Now,  I  bless  God  that  I  ever  saw  you,  and 
that  you  gave  me  a  tract ;  for  I  was  taken  sick, 
and  ill  my  sickness  had  nothing  to  read  but 
that  tract  you  gave  me,  which  I  read  again  and 
again.  God  made  it  the  means  of  my  conver- 
sion ;  and,  glory  to  God !  I  now  have  a  hope 
that  reaches  beyond  the  grave.'  Friends  of 
Bible  and  tract  societies,  I  think  our  success,  at 
least  in  part,  depends  on  ourselves.  If  our 
motive  be  pure,  our  hearts  filled  with  the  love 
of  Jesus,  we  shall  find  an  open  door,  and  do 
some  good.  P.  Schmucker." 

"  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  June  1,  1840. 

"Dear  Brethren, — My  chief  object  in 
writing  is,  to  say  a  few  words  on  the  subject 
of  religious  tracts.  Some  very  remarkable  in- 
stances have  come  under  my  notice,  of  their 


100  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

having  been  instrumental  in  the  awakening  and 
conversion  of  souls.  A  few  cases  I  wish  to 
relate,  for  the  encouragement  of  the  Tract  So- 
ciety, and  all  friends  of  tracts;  but  especially 
of  those  that  are  engaged  in  their  distribution. 

"  Some  years  ago,  I  called  at  a  public  house 
in  North  Carolina,  to  stay  over  night.  The 
landlord  was  a  rich  planter,  and  owned  many 
slaves  ;  a  gentleman  in  appearance,  but  a  deist 
in  principle.  He  asked  me  many  questions ; 
but  as  I  could  not  hold  a  controversy  with  him 
in  the  English  language,  I  handed  him  a  tract, 
*  Salvation  by  Grace.''  He  read  in  it  till  I  re- 
tired to  bed,  and  was  reading  in  the  morning 
when  I  left  him.  He  invited  me  to  stay  for 
breakfast,  which  I  did,  and  would  have  nothing 
for  his  bill  but  the  tract.  Several  years  elapsed, 
when  I  called  at  the  same  house  again,  in  com- 
pany with  two  other  clergymen.  The  same 
gentleman  came  out,  invited  me  into  the  house, 
then  took  me  by  the  hand,  led  me  into  a  sepa- 
rate apartment,  showed  me  the  tract,  and,  ac- 
companied with  many  tears,  related  his  conver- 
sion to  me,  which  he  dated  from  the  evening  I 
gave  him  the  tract.  He  was  then  a  member, 
of  the  Church.  Next  morning  we  prayed 
together,  and  parted  to  meet  again  in  heaven. 

"  Some  years  ago,  I  called  at  the  house  of  a 
gentleman  in  Virginia,  to  get  some  refreshment. 
His  son  came  into  the  room,  and  told  me  his 
father  was  very  sick,  and  wanted  to  see  me.  I 
went  into  the  room  where  he  lay,  and  he  said 
to  me,  '  I  am  very  sick,  and  I  want  you  to  pray 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  101 

with  me.'  I  told  him  I  could  not  pray  in  En- 
glish very  M^ell.  'Well,'  said  he,  'pray  as 
well  as  you  can.'  I  read  the  twenty-third 
Psalm,  and  sung  a  hymn  from  his  common 
prayer-book,  and  then  prayed  for  him.  I  then 
handed  him  a  tract,  I  think,  on  '  Death  and 
Judgment.^  While  he  was  reading,  I  could 
see  the  tear  gather  in  his  eye.  The  lady  came 
into  the  room,  and  told  me  I  ought  not  to  have 
given  him  the  tract,  as  he  was  too  weak.  She 
left  the  room,  I  thought,  dissatisfied.  I  com- 
mitted him  to  the  Lord,  and  left  him.  A  few 
years  after,  I  called  at  a  public  house,  in  a  vil- 
lage ijot  far  off,  to  stay  all  night ;  and  asked 
the  landlady  whether  there  was  preaching,  as 
the  church  was  lighted  up.  She  told  me, 
'  No ;  but  we  have  a  society  meeting,  and  I 
should  be  glad  of  your  company.'  We  went, 
and  there  I  heard  the  same  man  relate  his  con- 
version. He  said,  'A  Dutch  preacher  gave 
me  a  tract,  when  lying  on  a  bed  of  affliction, 
some  years  ago,  which  powerfully  awakened 
me.  I  began  to  pray,  and  promised  God  if  he 
would  spare  my  life  once  more,  I  would  serve 
him.  He  heard  and  answered  my  petition, 
and  converted  my  poor  sin-sick  soul.'  Here 
he  gave  vent  to  his  feelings,  and  shouted  glory 
to  God;  and  the  Dutch  preacher  ran  up  to 
him  and  shook  hands,  in  the  midst  of  tears  of 

joy- 

"  Brethren,  I  need  not  tell  you  why  I  have 
written  the  above.     Our  object  is  to  save  souls 
— we  leave  no  means  unti-ied — different  means 
9* 


lOf  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

may  be  applied  under  different  circumstances. 
When  we  go  out  in  the  highways,  lanes  and 
hedges,  or  visit  sinners  in  their  houses,  tracts 
may  be  distributed  to  great  advantage.  They 
should  be  accompanied  with  reproof,  when  ne- 
cessary— prayer  and  exhortation,  as  the  oppor- 
tunity may  offer.  They  should  be  distributed 
with  a  sparing  hand,  thereby  showing  that  we 
set  value  upon  them ;  and  should  one  soul 
among  a  thousand,  by  those  means,  be  rescued 
from  destruction,  we  shall  be  well  paid  for  our 
trouble.  And  now,  thou  great  Shepherd  and 
Bishop  of  souls,  bless  the  Tract  Society  ;  make 
each  tract  instrumental  to  the  salvation  of  a 
soul ;  bless  each  distributor  with  wisdom,  faith 
and  patience,  to  bear  all  reproach;  suffer  all 
contradiction  meekly,  and  be  faithful  until 
death !  We  expect  to  meet  many  around  the 
dazzling  throne  of  glory,  in  whose  salvation 
we  have  been  instrumental ;  and  with  them  and 
all  the  redeemed  of  the  Lord,  we  will  join  in 
singing  the  praises  of  God  and  the  Lamb  for 
ever. 

"  To  the  American  Tract  Society,  I  would 
beg  leave  to  say,  we  have  hundreds  and  thous- 
ands of  Germans  in  this  western  valley.  They 
have  a  claim  on  your  charity.  I  have  distribu- 
ted not  less  than  thirty  thousand  pages  of  Ger- 
man tracts  among  them  within  eighteen  months, 
and  could  have  done  much  more,  but  for  the 
want  of  means. 

"P.   SCHMUCKER, 

German  Missionary. ^^ 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  103 

From  the  above,  it  will  be  seen  that  success 
often  attends  the  ellbrts  made  to  do  good  to  the 
souls  of  our  fellow  men,  though  it  may  be  un- 
known to  us  at  the  time.  With  regard  to 
many  instances,  eternity  alone  will  be  able  to 
tell  the  amount  of  good  accomplished  by  the 
distribution  of  tracts  and  Bibles.  We  should 
not  be  "  weary  in  well  doing,  for  in  due  season 
we  shall  reap  if  we  faint  not."  We  would 
close  these  reflections  with  an  expression  of 
gratitude  to  the  American  Bible  and  Tract  soci- 
eties, for  their  liberal  donations,  from  time  to 
time,  to  these  missions. 

During  this  year,  the  old  missions  were  gen- 
erally in  a  state  of  prosperity.  To  them  were 
added  the  following  neAV  ones :  Alleghany  and 
Marietta,  in  the  Pittsburg  conference ;  Allen 
and  Scioto,  in  the  Ohio  conference ;  and  Louis- 
ville, in  the  Kentucky  conference ;  respecting 
each  of  which,  we  will  give  a  brief  notice. 

Alleghany  Mwsion. — The  foundation  of 
this  mission  was  laid  by  brother  Hartman, 
while  he  was  a  missionary  in  Pittsburg,  in 
1840.  The  Pittsburg  conference,  in  the  same 
year,  made  an  appropriation  for  a  missionary, 
and  the  Rev.  J.  Miller,  an  American  German, 
was  appointed  to  it. 

Marietta  Mission  was  at  first  connected  with 
the  Monroe  mission;  but  in  1840  it  became  a 
separate  charge,  and  Rev.  H.  Koenecke,  who 
was  one  of  the  fruits  of  the  Wheeling  mission, 
was  appointed  to  take  charge  of  it ;  and  at  the 


104  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS   OF 

close  of  the  first  year,  he  reported  one  hundred 
and  seventy  members. 

It  is  worthy  of  mentioning,  that  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  year  1840,  Rev.  J.  Dancker,  who 
had  charge  of  two  Lutheran  congregations  in 
and  near  Marietta,  joined  us  with  forty-two 
members.  The  reason  of  his  change  was,  that 
his  elders,  and  the  majority  of  his  congrega- 
tion, were  offended  at  his  preaching  so  much 
like  the  Methodists.  He  staid  with  them  as 
long  as  he  could  do  them  good  ;  but  when  they 
resolved  to  shut  the  doors  of  the  Church  against 
him,  he  told  them  that  he  must  have  full  liber- 
ty to  preach  what  the  Lord  had  bid  him — that 
he  would  now  join  the  Methodists,  and  those 
that  were  of  his  mind,  he  hoped,  would  follow 
him.  He  accordingly  left  them,  and  forty-two 
members  of  the  congregation  went  with  him. 

Brother  Koenecke  was  re-appointed,  and  a 
part  of  his  work  set  off  into  a  separate  charge. 
Prosperity  attended  his  labors,  also,  the  second 
year.  The  old  Methodist  church  was  purchas- 
ed by  the  members,  this  year,  for  $800.  There 
was  a  society  in  the  vicinity  of  Marietta,  con- 
nected with  this  mission,  where  they  have, 
also  erected  a  new  church.  Brother  Koenecke, 
in  his  second  year,  distributed  among  the  desti- 
tute twenty  Bibles,  some  Testaments,  and  tracts, 
and  sold'  a  considerable  number  of  our  hymn 
books.  Disciplines,  and  Fletcher's  Appeal. 
This,  as  well  as  all  the  other  German  missions, 
within  the  bounds  of  the  Pittsburg  conference, 
were,  from  the  year  1839  to  1841,  under  the 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  105 

superintendence  of  Rev.  N.  Callender,  to  whose 
judicious  management  and  diligence  much  of 
their  prosperity  may  be  attributed. 

Allen  Mission  was  established  in  1840,  and 
inchided  a  part  of  the  territory  embraced  the 
previous  year  within  the  bounds  of  the  Cincin- 
nati and  Lebanon  districts.  The  Rev.  Engel- 
herdt  Riemenschneider,  Avho  was  one  of  the 
first  converts  during  brother  Nast's  first  visit  to 
Pittsburg,  was  appointed  to  take  the  charge. 
This  mission  bears  the  name  of  a  benevolent 
brother,  who  has  for  sometime  contributed  an- 
nually one  hundred  dollars  for  its  support.  It 
has  been  considered  rather  an  unfruitful  field ; 
yet  still,  a  degree  of  success  has  attended  the 
efforts  that  have  been  made,  and,  according  to 
brother  Kisling's  last  report,  the  prospects  are 
more  encouraging,  and  there  have  been,  of  late, 
some  gracious  revivals  within  its  bounds. 

Scioto  Mission,  in  its  commencement,  ex- 
tended from  the  mouth  of  the  Scioto  River  up 
to  Chillicothe,  spreading  in  various  directions, 
embracing  several  populous  German  settle- 
ments. 

The  Rev.  G.  A.  Breunig,  a  convert  from 
Roman  Catholicism,  was  appointed  to  this  mis- 
sion in  the  autumn  of  1840.  At  the  close  of 
his  first  year,  he  reported  twenty-two  members 
in  society.  He  was  re- appointed,  and  the  mis- 
sion continued  to  prosper  under  his  labors  the 
second  year.  He  reported  many  interesting 
facts,  among  which  is  the  following:  "A  Ro- 
man Catholic  and  his  wife,  who  appeared  to 


106  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

be  much  taken  up  with  the  vanities  of  this 
world,  came  to  hear  me  several  times.  The 
woman  became  serious,  and  seemed  inclined 
to  unite  herself  with  our  Church  ;  but  her  hus- 
band forbade  her  taking  such  a  step,  and  threat- 
ened to  leave  her  if  she  did.  At  our  late  pro- 
tracted meeting,  however,  he  became  powerful- 
ly awakened,  and  they  both  together  sought 
and  found  the  pardon  of  their  sins,  and  joined 
the  Church.  After  returning  home  from  meet- 
ing, this  woman  and  another  young  sister,  from 
a  deep  feeling  of  aversion  to  all  appearance  of 
pride,  took  off  their  artificials  and  cast  them 
into  the  fire." 

Brother  Breunig  also  reported  about  this 
time,  that  he  had  visited  a  German  settlement 
of  about  fifty  families  ;  and  after  having  preach- 
ed to  them  a  few  times,  a  great  work  broke 
out,  and  twenty-eight  joined  society.  In  one 
instance,  at  the  commencement  of  his  sermon, 
the  people  were  so  affected,  and  the  cries  for 
mercy  so  loud,  that  he  was  obliged  to  desist 
from  preaching,  and  enter  immediately  into  the 
work  of  a  prayer  meeting.  The  prospects 
here  are  good :  many  attend  the  meetings,  and 
sometimes  travel  four  or  five  miles  over  the 
hills  and  in  the  night,  with  their  torches,  to 
hear  the  word  preached.  In  this  field  he  dis- 
tributed three  thousand  pages  of  tracts,  a  num- 
ber of  Bibles,  Testaments,  hymn  books,  Fletch- 
er's Appeal,  and  catechisms. 

Louisville  Mission,  Kentucky  conference, 
was  established  in  the  autumn  of  1840,  and 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  107 

the  Rev.  P.  Schmucker  was  appointed  mission- 
ary. At  the  commencement,  he  had  much  op- 
position to  contend  with;  but  the  Lord  was 
with  him,  and  soon  a  great  revival  of  religion 
broke  out  among  the  Germans.  A  society  was 
formed,  which  gradually  increased  until  the 
close  of  the  year,  when  he  reported  ninety- 
three  members.  The  following  letters  show 
the  state  of  this  mission  a  few  months  after  he 
commenced  his  labors : 

''Louisville,  Ky.,  March  29,  1841. 
"  Dear  Brother  Miller, — Your  letter  of 
December  last  was  duly  received,  and  should 
have  been  answered  long  ago  ;  but  I  concluded 
not  to  answer  it  until  I  saw  your  report  of  the 
Cincinnati  mission.  Since  New  Year,  I  have 
been  sickly  half  the  time ;  but  it  was  all  in 
consequence  of  excessive  labor.  I  am  now 
well  again,  thanks  be  to  God.  I  commenced 
my  labor  in  Louisville  in  the  streets :  after  a 
while  I  got  the  use  of  a  little  private  school- 
house  ;  and  now  I  have  the  use  of  the  Presby- 
terian church.  I  have  more  hearers,  on  an 
average,  than  I  ever  had  in  Cincinnati.  For 
four  weeks  past,  we  have  been  much  disturbed 
by  the  German  rabble,  during  which  time  the 
church  has  been  stoned  every  night,  excepting 
the  last.  I  have  now  seventy-three  probation- 
ers in  society,  all  received  in  about  two  months. 
We  receive  from  five  to  ten  every  Sabbath. 
Some  have  found  the  pearl  of  great  price,  and 
others  are  seeking  day  and  night.  Few  days 
pass  in  which  we  have  not  to  read,  sing,  and 


108  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

pray  with  seekers  of  religion,  and  sometimes 
from  morning  till  night.  Here  are  more  awa- 
kened Germans  than  I  ever  saw  in  any  one 
place.  I  preached  at  the  Bethel  Chapel  yes- 
terday ;  and  after  we  left  the  chapel,  two  old 
men,  with  their  wives,  came  to  me  on  the  street, 
asked  me  all  about  the  German  mission,  and 
offered  themselves  for  membership,  with  the 
penitential  tear  in  their  eyes.  I  told  them  to 
come  to  my  meeting  next  Sabbath. 

This  mission  now  embraces  some  who  were 
Lutherans,  German  Reformed,  and  Romanists ; 
others,  grog-sellers,  and  grog-drinkers ;  and 
others,  again,  musicians,  publicans,  and  sin- 
ners. We  have  both  rich  and  poor,  and  high 
and  low.  Some  are  converted,  and  others  un- 
converted. May  the  Lord  bless  and  help  us ! 
The  first  German  Methodist  sacramental,  quar- 
terly, and  love  feast  meeting  ever  held  in  Lou- 
isville, we  expect,  will  be  next  Easter.  We 
hope  to  see  the  King  in  the  camp,  and  hear  the 
shout  of  new-born  souls.  May  God  fulfill  our 
hopes  !  We  have  powerful  enemies  :  a  Ger- 
man press,  a  host  of  Romanists,  several  hun- 
dred grog-sellers,  and  two  or  three  times  as 
many  grog-drinkers  :  all  these  are  out  in  battle 
array  against  us,  talking  against  Schmucker  and 
the  Methodists  every  Sabbath,  printing  against 
us  every  week,  and  slandering  us,  in  short,  at 
all  times  and  places.  But  still,  the  arrows  of 
the  Lord  have  wounded  many,  and  several 
have    enlisted    under    the    banner   of   Jesus. 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  109 

Brothers  A.  and  T.  are  with  me,  and  send 
their  love  to  you. 

"  Yours  in  Christ, 

"  Peter  Schmucker." 
^^  Louisville,  Ky.,  May  22,  1841. 
*'  Dear  Brother  Miller, — I  received  your 
lines,  and  Mrs.  Schmucker  also  told  me  that 
she  saw  you.  I  hope  this  will  find  you  and 
your  family  in  health.  I  am  well,  excepting 
sometimes  I  preach,  sing  and  pray  too  much, 
and  then  have  to  lay  by  a  few  days.  The  ark 
of  the  Lord  is  moving,  and  the  missionary  fire 
has  reached  B.,  twelve  miles  from  this  place. 
In  the  absence  of  the  Lutheran  preacher,  some 
of  his  members  came  to  hear  us.  They  went 
home,  and  told  what  they  had  heard,  seen,  and 
felt;  and  commenced  prayer  meetings  them- 
selves. Those  among  them  that  spoke  against 
us,  two  months  ago,  are  now  for  us,  and  want 
me  to  come  and  preach  to  them.  May  the 
Lord  send  them  help  !  The  intolerable  perse- 
cution we  have  here,  doubtless  prevents  many 
from  joining  us,  and  will  probably  cause  some 
of  my  young  recruits  to  break  the  ranks. 
Some  mechanics  have  lost  their  employment, 
and  some  renters,  also,  have  had  to  move.  I 
am  frequently  compelled  to  defend  my  doctrine 
on  the  streets.  All  the  German  priests  and 
preachers  in  the  city,  have  held  forth  against 

me,  and   Mr. is    slandering  me  and  the 

Methodists  in  his  paper  nearly  every  week ; 

but  still  the  people  come  to  hear,  several  going 

away  convicted,  and   then  coming  back  again 

10 


110  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS   OF 

to  seek  salvation ;  and,  blessed  be  God,  they 
find  it  too. 

'*  Yours  in  Christ,  P.  Schmucker." 

In  the  first  of  the  above  letters,  the  mission- 
ary expressed  strong  hopes,  in  reference  to  the 
first  quarterly  meeting  for  the  mission;  and 
the  following  interesting  report  shows  that  his 
hopes  were  not  disappointed : 

''April  28,  1841. 

"  Dear  Brother, — The  Lord  in  his  great 
goodness  has  been  with  us  in  our  labors,  and 
the  power  of  his  glory  has  been  made  manifest 
amongst  this  people.  It  is  now  about  six 
months  since  we  unfurled  our  missionary  ban- 
ner in  this  city,  displaying  to  the  poor  benight- 
ed German  the  light  of  Gospel  truth,  and  offer- 
ing, in  the  name  of  our  blessed  Master,  free 
salvation  to  all  who  should  enlist  in  the  holy 
war.  Thank  God,  the  powers  of  darkness 
have  been  made  to  tremble,  while  the  army 
of  the  aliens  have  suffered  a  signal  defeat. 
Where,  but  a  few  months  since,  all  was  sterili- 
ty and  unproductive  waste,  now  the  wilderness 
truly  '  blossoms  as  the  rose.'  Where  sin  rioted 
in  corrupt  luxury,  producing  naught,  save  ruin 
and  death,  the  pure  stream  of  Gospel  grace 
waters  the  soil,  giving  forth  rich  promise  of 
salvation  and  eternal  life.  Ninety-four  pre- 
cious, immortal  souls,  have  been,  through 
God's  wonderful  love,  plucked,  as  it  were, 
from  the  very  pit  of  ruin,  and  placed  within 
the  blessed  circle  of  hope's  bright  promise. 
Our  Sabbath  school,  consisting  of  some  sixty 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  Ill 

scholars,  with  eight  efficient  teachers,  is  in  a 
prosperous  condition:  with  it  is  connected  a 
small  German  and  English  library,  well  select- 
ed, and  much  read.  But  how  shall  we  speak 
of  our  missionary  collection?  Language  can 
scarcely  convey  a  proper  idea  of  the  scene. 
Truly  the  days  of  old  seemed  to  have  returned, 
when  Israel's  daughters  so  freely  gave  forth 
their  ornaments  for  the  beautifying  of  the 
Lord's  tabernacle.  In  addition  to  $46  87^  in 
money,  various  articles  of  jewelry  were  brought 
into  the  treasury  of  God — the  donors  testifying 
both  by  word  and  deed,  that  since  they  had 
found,  through  grace,  that  priceless  jewel  of 
their  souls,  the  love  of  God  shed  abroad  in 
their  hearts,  they  had  no  longer  any  use  or  de- 
sire for  the  tinsel-adorning  of  such  outward 
show.  From  brother  Messer  were  received 
three  gold  finger-rings,  and  from  sister  Messer 
three  gold  breast-pins.  May  those  better  and 
more  lasting  jewels,  which  now  adorn  them, 
hope  and  faith,  grow  brighter  and  brighter,  un- 
til they  shall  commingle  with  eternally  revealed 
glory !  From  brother  Barth  was  received,  in 
addition  to  a  gold  breast-pin  and  finger-ring,  a 
splendid  and  valuable  trombone,*  (worth  $25,) 
with  a  desire  that  it  might  be  converted  to  a 
Gospel  trumpet,  so  that  through  the  medium 
with  which  sin  so  long  had  given  forth  its  dis- 
cordant notes,  the  reverberating  blast  of  free 

*  The  reader  must  not  infer  from  this  circumstance,  that  in-  \ 

strumental  music  is  in  itself  sinful.    Connection,  however,  with  j 
a  "  band  of  music,"  often,  almost  invariably,  leads  to  great  and 

ruinous  evils.  ' 


112  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

salvation  might  be  blown  to  the  perishing  hea- 
then. Truly  the  wrath  of  men  shall  praise 
God,  and  the  powers  of  darkness  be  constrain- 
ed to  acknowledge  his  glory.  What  may  not 
the  arm  of  true  faith  look  for  and  expect  under 
such  bright  and  flattering  circumstances  ?  When 
the  favorite  gathering-places  of  immorality  and 
sin,  the  theatre  and  the  ball-room,  give  their 
performers,  and  they  their  musical  instruments, 
to  the  cause,  may  we  not  rejoice,  indeed,  that 
'  God  is  with  us  ? ' 

"  Our  sacramental  meeting  commenced  on 
the  8th  inst.,  and  continued  until  the  15th,  du- 
ring which  time  we  had  the  assistance  of  broth- 
er Kisling,  from  Indiana,  and  brother  Jacoby, 
from  Cincinnati.  The  celebration  of  the  holy 
eucharist  took  place  on  the  Sabbath.  The  em- 
blems of  the  sacred  remembrance  of  a  crucified 
Savior  were  dispensed  to  about  one  hundred 
happy  recipients.  All  felt  the  power  of  God, 
and  many  rejoiced  in  his  love,  while  the  spirit- 
ual presence  of  the  great  Head  of  the  Church 
seemed  to  pervade  the  whole  assembly.  On 
Monday  evening,  we  held  our  first  love  feast — « 
the  first  German  love  feast  ever  held  in  thi^ 
city.  A  Pentecostal  shower  it  proved  to  us  all. 
While  believers  were  made  strong,  unbelievers 
were  convicted  and  converted  to  God.  During 
the  space  of  thirty  years  spent  in  the  service 
of  God,  never  have  we  looked  upon  such  an 
outpouring  of  his  Spirit  among  the  Germans. 
May  it  still  flow  on,  until  throughout  the  land 
its  blessed  influence  shall  be  felt,  and  all  learn 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  113 

to  know  God,  from  the  least  to  the  greatest. 
Are  we  not  encouraged  to  go  on  in  the  good 
work? — but  six  months  established,  and  great 
thirtgs,  indeed,  God  has  done  for  us.  '  Won- 
derful are  thy  works,  0  Lord,  and  thy  ways 
past  finding  out.' 

"  For  some  time  past,  the  house  of  the  mis- 
sionary has  been,  emphatically,  a  'Bethel' — 
from  morning  till  evening  crowded  with  peni- 
tent souls,  inquiring  the  way  to  heaven,  where 
the  song  of  praise  and  the  fervent  prayer  have 
been  continually  going  up  to  God.  Before  we 
close  this  letter,  let  us  relate  one  incident  more. 
Our  church  has  been,  for  some  months  past, 
greatly  annoyed,  by  wicked  men  casting  stones 
upon  it,  and  at  us,  during  divine  service.  On 
one  occasion,  a  young  German  knocked  a  Avin- 
dow  in — was  discovered,  arrested,  and  brought 
before  the  court.  Upon  his  giving  sufficient 
bail,  the  judge  permitted  him  to  remain  at 
large.  During  the  course  of  our  meeting,  the 
power  of  God  fell  upon  him,  and  while  the 
tear  of  penitence  glistened  in  his  eye,  in  pres- 
ence of  the  whole  congregation  he  confessed 
his  fault,  and  implored  the  pardon  of  his  crime. 
May  God  convert  his  soul ! 

"  How  glorious  to  behold  the  gray  haired 
veterans  in  the  ranks  of  rebellion,  kneeling  be- 
side the  tender  child,  and  both  confessing  the 
love  of  God  to  their  souls ;  the  one  blossoming 
for  the  tomb,  roused  upon  the  very  verge  of 
time;  the  other  just  beginning  to  live,  and  both 
starting  in  an  equal  race  for  heaven  and  immor- 
10* 


114  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

tal  glory.  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest.  He 
permits  us  to  be  happy  here — shall  we  not  be 
happy  there  ? 

"Yours  in  the  Lord, 

"B.  T.  Crouch,  P.  i;. 

"P.  ScHMucKER,  German  Miss.'' ^ 

The  missionary's  last  report  for  this  year, 
made  to  the  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the 
Missionary  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  will  show  the  state  of  the  mission 
at  the  close  of  the  first  year  of  its  existence. 
The  report  is  as  follows : 

''Louisville,  Ky,,  Jiug.  23,  1841. 

"  Dear  Brother, — I  beg  leave  to  transmit 
to  you  my  last  report  for  this  conference  year. 
This  mission  was  commenced  one  year  ago. 
I  labored  from  October  to  January  17,  when  I 
opened  the  Church  door  for  the  first  time  ;  and 
since  that  time  till  now  I  have  received  on  pro- 
bation one  hundred  and  eleven,  many  of  whom 
are  happily  converted  to  God.  The  mission  is 
divided  into  five  classes.  We  have  had  three 
sacramental  and  love  feast  meetings,  all  of  which 
were  attended  with  the  awakening  and  convert- 
ing power  of  God.  At  those  seasons  of  rer 
freshing  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  we  had 
the  assistance  of  brothers  Kisling,  Hofer,  and 
Jacoby.  We  have  now  in  full  membership, 
forty-five ;  on  probation,  forty-eight ;  laid  aside 
for  neglect  of  duty,  ten ;  removed,  six ;  and 
two  died  happy  in  the  Lord.  We  have  a  Sab- 
bath school,  consisting  of  the  regular  oflfi^cers, 
twelve  teachers,  and  about  fifty  scholars.     We 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  115 

collected  for  this  institution  $26  75 ;  and  the 
Louisville  Bible  Society  made  a  donation  of 
three  Bibles  and  forty-eight  Testaments.  The 
teachers  are  all  happily  converted  to  God,  and 
some  of  the  scholars  also.  We  have  formed  a 
Tract  Society,  and  have  received  of  the  Amer- 
ican Tract  Society  forty  thousand  pages  of 
tracts,  toward  the  payment  of  which  we  have 
collected  $16  75.  We  have  collected  for  the 
missionary  treasury  $60  ;  and  for  superannua- 
ted preachers,  widows,  and  orphans,  $10.  We 
would  solicit  conference  to  give  us  regidar  quar- 
terly meetings  the  coming  year.  Although  we 
are  Germans,  we  understand  English  well 
enough  to  transact  the  business  with  the  pre- 
siding elder. 

"  And  now  a  few  words  in  conclusion.  Skep- 
ticism, Neologianism,  and  Rationalism  have 
made  fearful  inroads  among  the  Germans  in 
this,  the  western  valley.  Infidelity  and  disre- 
gard of  the  Bible,  of  the  Sabbath,  and  of  mor- 
ality, have  full  sway  in  many  places.  This 
state  of  things  calls  loudly  for  vigorous  efforts 
of  the  Church,  more  especially  as  we  have  the 
promise  of  God,  and  daily  experience  to  con- 
firm it,  that  our  '  labor  is  not  in  vain  in  the 
Lord.'  If  we  cast  our  eyes  over  this  western 
valley,  and  behold  the  missionary  eff'orts  of  our 
Church  among  the  Germans,  we  are  constrain- 
ed to  say,  Behold  what  the  Lord  has  done  for 
us ! 

"  Yours  in  Christ,       P.  Schmucker, 

"  German  Missionary.^'' 


116  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

By  the  above  it  will  be  seen,  that  those  Ger- 
mans who  had  themselves  partaken  of  the  bles- 
sings of  the  Gospel,  were  ready  and  willing  to 
support  those  institutions  which  had  been  made 
the  means  of  conveying  spiritual  life  and  salva- 
tion to  their  souls. 

The  following  letter  to  the  editor  of  the 
Western  Christian  Advocate,  shows  the  happy 
result  of  our  missionary  efforts  in  Louisville : 
"  Cincinnati,  0.,  December  7,  1841. 

"  Mr.  Editor, — On  last  Saturday  and  Sab- 
bath, I  attended  a  quarterly  meeting  held  for 
the  German  mission  in  the  city  of  Louisville, 
Ky. ;  and,  with  your  permission,  I  will  say  a 
few  things  in  reference  to  the  success  of  the 
missionary,  and  the  present  prosperous  state 
of  the  mission. 

"  It  is  only  a  little  over  a  year  since  brother 
Schmucker  commenced  his  labors  among  the 
Germans  in  this  place ;  and,  notwithstanding 
the  strong  opposition  he  has  met,  and  the 
many  prejudices  with  which  he  has  had  to  con- 
tend, he  has,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  been  instru- 
mental in  raising  a  society  of  upward  of  one 
hundred,  which  for  piety  and  zeal  will  compare 
with  any  other  of  the  same  number  in  the 
bounds  of  my  acquaintance,  either  German  or 
English.  Our  love  feast  was  peculiarly  inter- 
esting ;  and  it  was  truly  delightful  to  hear  these 
new  converts  arise  in  quick  succession,  and 
give  an  account  of  their  awakening  and  con- 
version. One  man,  with  tearful  eyes  and  a 
glad  heart,  said,  he  thanked  God  that  the  Chris- 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  117 

tian  Apologist  had  ever  been  circulated  among 
the  Germans  in  Louisville.  He  told  us,  that 
when  he  first  received  the  Apologist,  he  com- 
menced reading,  and  was  soon  constrained  to 
weep.  His  friends  asked  him,  why  he  wept 
while  reading  a  newspaper?  To  which  he 
replied,  that  he  could  not  help  it.  And  this, 
he  said,  was  the  means  of  leading  him  to  seek 
the  salvation  of  his  soul.  Others  told  us,  that 
almost  as  soon  as  they  entered  the  room  and 
heard  the  voice  of  the  missionary,  they  were 
brought  under  deep  conviction,  and  found  no 
rest  until  they  obtained  peace  with  God.  In- 
deed, I  scarcely  ever  heard  more  rational  ac- 
counts of  deep  conviction  and  powerful  con- 
version, than  at  this  quarterly  meeting,  from 
the  aged  father  of  three-score  years,  down  to 
the  child  of  five  years  old ;  all  uniting  in  the 
same  testimony,  and  rejoicing  together  in  the 
great  truth,  that  Christ  has  power  on  earth  to 
forgive  sins.  It  has  sometimes  been  said,  that 
reports  of  revivals  are  wont  to  be  exaggerated ; 
but  no  one  who  is  acquainted  with  the  condi- 
tion of  the  German  mission  at  Louisville,  will 
say,  that  the  missionary  has  been  exaggeratory 
in  his  reports.  Much  as  I  had  previously 
heard,  I  was  constrained  to  say  on  my  arrival 
there,  'The  half  has  not  been  told.'  Our  En- 
glish brethren  in  Louisville  take  a  deep  interest 
in  this  work,  and  talk  strongly  of  assisting  the 
Germans  to  build  a  church  in  the  coming  spring. 
This  is  much  needed ;  and  we  have  no  doubt 
but  it  will  be  accomplished  in  due  time.    Broth- 


118  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

er  Schmiicker  will,  of  course,  soon  furnish  his 
quarterly  report,  and  give  a  detailed  account  of 
the  mission.  I  will  only  say,  in  conclusion, 
no  one,  with  such  demonsti-ations  of  success, 
will  ever  be  sorry  that  he  has  given  to  the  sup- 
port of  missions,  unless  his  own  heart  should 
grow  cold  in  the  cause  of  Christ.  May  God 
increase  our  zeal,  and  give  success  to  our  efforts  ! 
"  Yours,  affectionately, 

"Adam  Miller." 


CHAPTER  X. 

NEW     MISSIONS     ESTABLISHED     IN    THE 
YEAR     1841. 

The  German  missions  established  in  1841 
are  as  follows :  Chester,  in  the  Ohio  confer- 
ence ;  Maysville,  in  Kentucky ;  St.  Louis  and 
Pinckney,  in  Missouri;  Bellville,  in  Illinois; 
New  York,  in  New  York ;  and  the  North  Ohio 
conference  mission.  In  order  to  follow  a  pro- 
per order  in  tracing  the  work  of  God  among 
the  Germans,  we  will  briefly  notice  the  com- 
mencement of  each  of  the  above  named  mis- 
sions. 

The  Chester  Mission  was  commenced  by 
brother  H.  Koenecke,  in  1841,  while  he  was 
missionary  at  Marietta ;  and  at  the  ensuing  Ohio 
conference,  an  appropriation  was  made  for  the 
support  of  a  missionary,  and  brother  J.  Geyer, 
who  had  been  converted  under  the  labors  of 
brother  Koenecke,  was  put  in  charge  of  it.     In 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  119 

this  mission,  they  have  enjoyed  a  good  degree 
of  prosperity  from  the  commencement.  They 
have  also  built  a  new,  commodious  church. 
From  the  first,  this  mission  has  done  a  great 
deal  toward  supporting  itself,  and  has  received 
comparatively  little  pecuniary  aid  from  the  mis- 
sionary society.  A  number  who  belong  to  our 
Church  within  the  bounds  of  this  mission,  were 
formerly  Roman  Catholics;  but  now  rejoice  in 
having  had  their  eyes  opened,  and  in  having 
been  brought  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from 
the  power  of  superstition  to  the  liberty  of  the 
Gospel.  All  the  efforts  of  their  former  priest 
were  unavailing  to  bring  them  back  to  the  Ro- 
mish  Church.  They  have  also  several  Sab- 
bath schools  in  a  prosperous  condition. 

Maysville  Mission  was  established  in  the 
fall  of  1841,  by  the  labors  of  brother  Schmuck- 
er.  During  the  session  of  the  Kentucky  con- 
ference, in  Maysville,  he  preached  every  day 
to  the  Germans  living  in  that  place ;  and  the 
result  was,  the  formation  of  a  society.  This 
encouraged  him,  and  led  him  to  promise  them 
regular  visits.  Brother  Schmucker's  charge 
was  then  called  the  Louisville  and  Maysville 
German  mission,  as  he  had  both  under  his  care. 
Brother  Bier,  a  young  man  who  was  one  of  the 
first  converts  of  the  Pittsburg  mission,  M^as  ap- 
pointed to  assist  him,  or  rather,  consented  to 
do  so,  as  he  was  then  a  local  preacher  and  sup- 
ported himself. 

St,  Louis  Mission  was  commenced  by  the 
Rev.  L.  S.  Jacoby,  one  of  the  fruits  of  the  Cin- 


120  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

cinnati  mission,  in  August,  1841.  On  his  ar- 
rival at  St.  Louis,  he  found  a  great  door  opened 
before  him,  and  forthwith  commenced  preach- 
ing in  a  rented  meeting-house,  also  in  the  mar- 
ket-house, and,  when  the  weather  would  permit 
of  it,  in  the  street.  He  also  formed  a  Bible 
class,  and  a  Sabbath  school.  He  did  not  labor 
long  without  seeing  the  fruits  of  his  efforts. 
Sinners  were  awakened,  inquiring  what  they 
should  do  to  be  saved.  The  same  eflects  that 
had  been  produced  among  the  Germans  in  Cin- 
cinnati, Louisville,  and  many  other  places,  were 
produced  here  also.  Sinners  were  converted 
to  God  by  scores,  many  of  whom  had  been 
brought  up  Roman  Catholics.  Brother  Jacoby 
was  re-appointed  the  second  year;  and  this 
charge,  under  his  labors  and  watchful  care,  has 
been  one  of  the  most  flourishing  of  all  our 
German  missions.  They  have  built  a  commo- 
dious brick  meeting-house,  and  have  a  flourish- 
ing day  school  connected  with  the  mission. 
Many  interesting  things  might  be  said  about 
this  field  of  labor,  but  our  limits  do  not  allow 
us  to  enter  into  much  detail.  Suffice  it  to  say, 
that  many  a  destitute  family  has  been  supplied, 
with  the  word  of  God;  thousands  of  religious 
tracts  have  also  been  distributed,  all  of  which 
will  undoubtedly  have  an  important  influence 
on  the  German  population  of  St.  Louis  The 
society  is  now  in  a  prosperous  condition,  and 
promises  to  do  much  good.  The  same  oppo- 
sition with  which  we  have  had  to  contend  in 
other  places,  has  also  manifested  itself  here ; 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  121 

but  truth  is  mighty,  and  will  prevail.  The 
present  number  in  society  is  one  hundred  and 
fourteen. 

Pinckney  Mission,  in  Missouri  conference, 
was  established  in  the  fall  of  1841.  The  Rev. 
John  Swahlen  was  transferred  from  the  Pitts- 
burg conference,  and  appointed  to  take  charge 
of  it.  It  embraces  some  interesting  German 
settlements.  A  degree  of  success  has  attended 
the  labors  of  the  missionary.  Several  classes 
have  been  formed,  and  in  some  places  the  con- 
gregations are  unitormly  large  and  attentive. 

Belleville  German  Mission,  in  Illinois  con- 
ference.— This  mission  was  established  at  the 
Illinois  conference  of  1841.  The  Rev.  J.  M. 
Hartman  was  transferred  from  the  Ohio  confer- 
ence, and  appointed  thereto  a  missionary.  Dur- 
ing his  first  year,  he  preached  three  times  each 
Sabbath,  and  four  or  five  times  each  week. 
His  circuit  extended  from  two  to  three  hundred 
miles,  and  he  had  more  calls  for  German  preach- 
ing than  he  could  possibly  supply.  German 
ministers  in  Illinois  are  very  scarce  :  the  Ger- 
man population,  however,  is  exceedingly  large  ; 
and  if  men  and  means  could  but  be  obtained,  a 
great  work  might  be  accomplished.  We  sin- 
cerely hope  the  day  is  not  far  distant,  when  all 
the  destitute  German  settiements  in  Illinois  and 
Missouri  will  be  fully  supphed. 

New  York  German  Mission. — The  best 
account  we  can  give  of  this  mission,  is  in  the 
language  of  the  twenty-third  Annual  Report  of 
the  Missionary  Society  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 

n 


122  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

copal  Church,  (1842,)  which  is  as  follows: 
*'The  German  mission  in  the  city  of  New 
York  was  decided  upon  at  the  late  session  of 
the  conference,  in  1841.  It  was  commenced 
during  the  following  summer,  and  Rev.  N.  Cal- 
lender  and  Rev.  C.  H.  Doering  were  transfer- 
red from  the  Pittsburg  conference,  and  appoint- 
ed to  the  charge  of  it.  In  a  short  time,  how- 
ever, brother  Callender  was  removed  to  another 
field  of  labor,  and  the  entire  charge  of  this  mis- 
sion devolved  on  brother  Doering.  The  so- 
ciety commenced  with  eight  German  brethren 
and  sisters,  who  zealously  seconded  the  efforts 
of  the  missionary,  and  by  their  sympathies  and 
prayers,  encouraged  his  heart  and  strengthened 
his  hands.  Owing  to  various  causes,  the  pros- 
pects at  the  commencement  were  rather  dis- 
couraging ;  but  by  degrees  they  have  continued 
to  brighten,  and  the  united  prayers  of  this  little 
band  have  been  graciously  answered,  and  the 
labors  of  the  missionaries  crowned  with  suc- 
cess. There  are  now  connected  with  this 
mission,  seventy-two  members ;  sixty-four  of 
whom  have  been  received  on  probation.  The 
German  attendants  upon  the  ministry  are  cour 
stantly  increasing;  so  much  so,  that  the  place 
they  now  occupy  will  soon  become  too  strait 
for  them.  They  are,  therefore,  under  the  ne- 
cessity of  looking  for  a  new  and  more  conve- 
nient place  of  worship.  A  Board  of  Trustees 
have  already  been  elected,  and  the  incipient 
measures  are  being  taken  for  the  erection  of  a 
German  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  in  this 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  123 

city.  The  present  prospects  of  the  mission 
are  in  a  high  degree  encouraging ;  and  although 
our  brethren  have  been  obliged  to  encounter 
much  opposition,  arising  out  of  long  cherished 
prejudices,  and  bigoted  attachments,  yet  the 
good  work  is  still  progressing,  and  the  whiten- 
ing field  promises  an  abundant  harvest. 

"  The  charge  of  this  mission  is  now  in  the 
hands  of  Rev.  J.  C.  Lyon,  who  has  recently 
been  transferred  from  the  Baltimore  conference. 
Brother  Doering  will  still  remain,  and  assist  in 
carrying  on  this  blessed  work ;  and  the  Board 
have  good  reason  to  believe,  that  the  establish- 
ment of  this  mission  will  result  in  great  and 
lasting  good  to  the  German  population  of  this 
city," 

Soon  after  the  above  report  was  published, 
brother  Doering  was  removed  to  the  Pittsburg 
German  mission,  and  brother  Lyon  was  left 
to  labor  alone  in  New  York.  We  see,  from 
the  preceding  extract,  that  our  brethren  in  New 
York  commenced  the  work  in  good  earnest, 
and,  therefore,  had  good  ground  to  hope  for 
success.  The  following  report  of  the  mission- 
ary, shows  that  their  hopes  have  not  been  dis- 
appomted : 

*'  New  York,  May  5,  1843. 

"Dear  Brother  Pitman, — At  the  expira- 
tion of  a  full  year  since  my  appointment  to  the 
German  mission  in  this  city,  having  had  a  full 
opportunity  of  testing  the  excellence  of  our 
doctrines  and  discipline  in  their  operation  upon 
the  Germans,  within  my  charge,  I  beg  leave  to 


124  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

transmit  to  you  a  report  of  the  results.  I  am 
free  to  confess,  I  entered  upon  this  new  field 
of  labor  with  fears  and  misgivings  as  to  the 
ultimate  success.  The  strong  and  unaccounta- 
ble prejudices  of  the  Germans  against  Metho- 
dism, the  tenacity  with  which  they  cleave  to 
that  system  of  religious  externalism,  in  which 
they  have  been  trained  from  infancy,  and  their 
consequent  aversion  to  vital  and  experimental 
godliness,  led  me  to  fear  that  the  success  among 
them  would  be  too  limited  to  justify  the  ex- 
pense and  sacrifice  required.  But,  blessed  be 
God !  my  fears  and  misgivings  are  all  scattered 
to  the  winds,  and  my  heart  rejoices  in  the 
gi-eat  and  glorious  achievements  of  the  cross. 
Though  I  came  among  this  people  in  much 
weakness,  and  with  trembling,  yet  *  I  came 
determined  to  know  nothing  among  them  but 
Christ  Jesus,  and  him  crucified.'  And  even 
here,  as  elsewhere,  the  Gospel  has  proved 
itself  to  be  '  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation.' 
"  Owing  to  the  want  of  a  suitable  place  for 
public  worship,  our  congregation,  during  the 
greater  part  of  the  year,  has  been  comparative- 
ly small,  on  account  of  which,  our  influence 
was,  necessarily,  much  circumscribed.  Being 
satisfied  that  the  success  of  the  mission  greatly 
depended  upon  our  having  a  suitable  house  of 
worship,  we  made  the  effort  to  build  one ;  and 
by  the  united  exertions  of  a  very  efficient 
Board  of  Trustees,  with  the  benevolent  aid  of 
many  of  our  English  friends,  and  especially, 
with  the  blessing  of  God  upon  our  labors,  the 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  125 

enterprise  succeeded.  Our  new  church  is 
forty-four  by  seventy  feet  in  size,  and  has  a 
good  lecture  room,  with  five  class  rooms,  in 
the  basement.  It  was  solemnly  dedicated  to 
the  worship  of  Almighty  God  on  the  4th  inst., 
in  the  presence  of  an  interesting  assembly, 
composed  pardy  of  foreign  and  native  Ger- 
mans, and  partly  of  English  friends,  from  the 
different  churches  in  this  city.  Bishops  Hed- 
ding  and  Morris  officiated  on  the  occasion,  to 
the  great  satisfaction  and  edification  of  all. 
After  the  introductory  and  dedicatory  services, 
which  were  performed  in  German,  Bishop 
Hedding  read  1  Cor.  ii,  and  Bishop  Morris 
followed,  with  a  very  impressive  sermon,  on 
Titus  ii,  14;  at  the  close  of  which,  he  related 
some  very  interesting  and  encouraging  facts 
and  incidents,  connected  with  the  German  mis- 
sions in  the  west.  We  had  service  again  in 
the  evening,  in  German;  and  the  collections 
and  pledges  on  the  occasion  amounted  to  up- 
ward of  $600.  Nearly  $3,000  have  been 
collected  in  various  ways  toward  defraying  the 
expenses  of  the  ground  and  building,  and  there 
still  rests  upon  our  shoulders  a  debt  of  $10,000. 
Under  so  heavy  a  responsibility  we  should  cer- 
tainly sink,  were  it  not  for  a  firm  reliance  upon 
the  unfailing  promises  of  God,  whose  ti-easury 
is  in  the  hearts  and  pockets  of  his  people. 

"  Since  the  commencement  of  this  mission, 

we  have  received  one  hundred  and  eighty-seven 

into  society,  nearly  all  of  whom  professed  to 

enjoy  an  evidence  of  pardon,  and  a  joyous 

11* 


126  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS    OF 

hope  of  heaven.  The  most  of  them,  as  to  the 
things  of  this  world,  are  extremely  poor,  but 
they  are  rich  in  faith,  and  heirs  of  the  king- 
dom. I  visit  a  number  of  these  poor  families 
every  day,  and  generally  find  them  rejoicing  in 
the  Lord.  During  the  severity  of  last  winter, 
I  found  some  confined  to  their  lonely  garrets, 
picking  wool,  for  a  shilling  a  day,  without  fire, 
or  any  means  to  procure  fuel;  their  scanty 
earnings  being  hardly  sufficient  to  purchase  the 
food  necessary  to  sustain  nature.  But,  not- 
withstanding all  this,  they  were  happy  in  God, 
and  the  love  of  Christ  in  ihek  hearts  caused 
them  almost  to  forget  their  destitute  circum- 
stances. A  vast  improvement  manifests  itself 
in  their  general  deportment.  Accustomed  from 
their  youth,  to  Sabbath  breaking,  and  to  dissi- 
pation of  various  kinds,  they  now  flee  from 
these  vices  as  from  a  destroying  pestilence — 
they  emphatically  reverence  the  Sabbath  and 
the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord.  They  are  remark- 
ably punctual  to  their  family  and  private  devo- 
tions, and  often  speak  in  our  class  meetings 
and  love  feasts  of  the  sweetness  of  these  ex- 
ercises. 

"  The  society  now  numbers  about  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty,  including  probationers.  Ow- 
ing to  the  pressure  of  the  times,  and  the  diflfi- 
culty  of  obtaining  employment,  many  of  our 
members  have  been  driven  from  the  city  to 
seek  a  livelihood  elsewhere,  and  some  of  these 
have  returned  to  their  own  country;  but  we 
have  good  reason  to  believe  they  will  prove  a 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  127 

blessing  to  their  countrymen,  where  they  have 
gone.  Our  Sabbath  school  is  large  and  flour- 
ishing. It  must  number  one  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-five scholars.  The  evidence  of  improve- 
ment among  the  children,  both  in  learning  and 
piety,  is  apparent  to  all.  The  officers  and 
teachers  are  punctual,  diligent  and  persevering, 
and  the  interest  they  take  in  the  school  cannot 
fail  to  secure  the  most  happy  results. 

"In  conclusion,  while  I  offer  my  grateful 
acknowledgments  to  the  Lord  of  the  harvest, 
for  the  spiritual  consolation  and  success  afford- 
ed me  in  this  laborious  field,  during  the  past 
year;  I  give  it  as  the  firm  conviction  of  my 
mind,  that  there  is  no  missionary  field  more 
white  for  the  harvest  than  this,  and  none  that 
promises  a  better  remuneration  to  its  friends. 

"  In  the  midst  of  a  population  of  from  fifty 
to  sixty  thousand  native  Germans,  composed 
of  the  most  heterogeneous  mass  of  depravity, 
we  have  raised  the  standard  of  the  cross,  and 
nearly  two  hundred  souls  have  fled  for  refuge 
to  the  hope  set  before  them.  These  have  been 
melted  together,  shaped  in  the  Gospel  mold, 
sealed  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  now  bear  the 
image  and  superscription  of  Christ.  Our 
*  watch-word '  is  still,  '  onward  and  upward  ; ' 
and  we  feel  that  through  grace  we  shall  be  able 
to  go  up  and  possess  the  land.  We  sincerely 
and  importunately  beg  an  interest  in  the 
prayers  of  all  those  who  love  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  that  this  mission  may  be  blessed  with 
still  gi-eater  effusions  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 


128  ORIGIN    AND   PROGRESS   OF 

that  hundreds  of  the  descendants  of  that  land, 
from  which  dawned  the  light  of  the  blessed 
Reformation,  may  receive  the  light  of  life. 
"Affectionately  yours, 

"John  C.  Lyon." 

German  Mission  in  the  North  Ohio  confer- 
ence. — This  was  established  at  the  session  of 
the  North  Ohio  conference  in  1841,  and  two 
German  missionaries  were  employed.  Brother 
E.  Riemenschneider  was  transferred  from  the 
Ohio  conference,  and  Rev.  D.  Brickley,  for- 
merly of  the  Evangelical  Association,  was  ap- 
pointed to  labor  with  him.  They  formed  a 
large  circuit,  extending  from  the  middle  of  Ohio 
to  the  shores  of  Lake  Erie.  The  health  of  the 
latter  soon  failed,  and  brother  Riemenschneider 
was  left  alone.  During  tlie  first  year,  he  trav- 
eled extensively  in  search  of  German  settle- 
ments, through  the  northern  part  of  Ohio,  and 
had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  some  fruits  of  his 
labor  in  the  awakening  and  conversion  of  souls. 
He  was  re-appointed  a  second  year ;  and  in  his 
report,  under  date  of  May  30th,  1842,  says: 

"Dear  Brother  Nast, — I  have  encour- 
agement to  trust  in  the  Lord,  and  go  on  preachr 
ing  Jesus  the  crucified.  I  am  daily  permitted 
to  see  that  my  labor  is  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord. 
Since  my  last  report,  I  have  formed  a  new 
class,  consisting  of  twenty  members.  Nearly 
all  of  them  profess  to  have  obtained  the  pardon 
of  their  sins.  May  God  preserve  them  unto 
everlasting  life !  Among  them  are  eight  per- 
sons who  were  formerly  members  of  the  Ro- 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  129 

man  Catholic  Church.  They  now  rejoice  in 
having  found  a  religion  which  consists,  not  in 
the  ti'aditions  of  men,  but  in  the  saving  power 
of  God.  I  have  twelve  regular  appointments, 
and  am  about  taking  up  several  more.  I  travel 
around  my  circuit  every  three  weeks,  which  is 
upward  of  three  hundred  miles  in  circumfer- 
ence. I  have  now  in  this  mission  thirty-eight 
members,  and  the  most  flattering  prospects  for 
the  future.  I  also  feel  more  encouraged  to  labor 
in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord  than  ever.  I  ask 
an  interest  in  the  prayers  of  all  the  friends  of 
missions,  for  your  unworthy  brother, 

"E.    RiEMENSCHNEIDER.'* 

Later  accounts  inform  us  that  this  mission 
has  continued  to  prosper  under  the  labors  of 
brother  Riemenschneider.  A  large  proportion 
of  those  who  have  been  converted  of  late,  were 
formerly  Roman  Catholics.  This  is  a  very 
important  field,  and  several  more  missionaries 
could  be  profitably  employed  in  it. 

German  Mission  in  Neiv  Orleans, — ^In  the 
spring  of  1842,  at  the  request  of  Rev.  William 
Winans,  and  of  the  Germans  themselves,  Bish- 
op Roberts  sent  brother  Schmucker  to  visit 
New  Orleans.  He  labored  several  weeks  with 
great  success  and  encouragement.  He  formed 
a  society,  and  made  arrangements  to  have  a 
meeting-house  built.  Through  the  influence 
of  some  of  our  members  from  Cincinnati,  who 
frequently  spend  the  spring  and  summer  in 
New  Orleans,  in  trading,  this  society  has  been 
kept  up.     They  have  already  built  a  house  of 


130  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

worship,  and  are  now  anxiously  waiting  the 
arrival  of  a  missionary.  A  young  man,  by  the 
name  of  Bremer,  resides  in  New  Orleans,  who 
is  a  licensed  local  preacher.  He  has  regularly 
kept  up  meetings  among  the  Germans  since 
brother  Schmucker  left  them.  He  wrote  to 
the  editor  of  the  Christian  Apologist,  under 
date  of  October  9th,  1842,  as  follows: 

*'  Dear  Brother, — As  I  have  a  good  oppor- 
tunity, I  wish  to  inform  you  of  the  work  of 
God  among  us.  Since  the  departure  of  brother 
Schmucker,  we  have  kept  our  meetings  up 
pretty  regularly  in  one  place ;  and  although  the 
place  is  not  very  suitable,  yet  we  thought  regu- 
larity should  be  observed.  For  sometime  past, 
I  have  generally  exhorted  the  people  from  the 
word  of  God,  four  times  a  week,  as  far  as  the 
Divine  Being  gave  me  grace  and  ability.  The 
Lord  blesses  his  word,  so  that  we  all  feel  en- 
couraged and  built  up.  Through  the  moving 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  sinners  have  been  awaken- 
ed from  their  slumbers.  On  one  occasion,  a 
Catholic  woman  ventured  to  come  to  the  door 
of  the  house  in  which  we  were  worshiping: 
she  was  awakened,  and  soon  afterward  found 
the  pardon  of  her  sins  in  the  blood  of  Christ, 
Her  husband  and  two  others  are  not  far  from 
the  kingdom  of  God.  May  God  bless  all  these 
precious  souls  for  Jesus'  sake !  Our  two  last 
class  meetings  were  the  most  interesting  we 
have  ever  had. 

"Dear  brethren,  pray  right  earnestly  for  us, 
that  the  work  of  the  Lord  may  prosper  in  this 


THE   GERMAN  MISSIONS.  131 

place;  and  especially  pray  for  me,  your  un- 
worthy brother,  Charles  Bremer." 

Brother  Bremer  has  had  the  yellow  fever, 
and  is  now  acclimated  to  the  south,  and  prom- 
ises fair  to  make  a  successful  German  mission- 
ary in  that  part  of  the  work. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

STATE  OF  THE  WORK  IN  1843. 

We  have  now  a  line  of  missionaries  from 
the  shores  of  Lake  Erie  to  New  Orleans,  in- 
cluding most  of  the  principal  cities  along  the 
western  water-courses,  where  the  Germans  are 
numerous.  Twelve  new  houses  of  worship 
have  been  built,  and  about  twenty-five  mission- 
aries are  employed. 

In  Cincinnati,  there  was  a  gracious  work 
during  the  last  winter;  and,  according  to  recent 
accounts  from  most  of  the  other  missions,  they 
are  in  a  prosperous  condition.  It  is  difficult 
now  to  tell  the  precise  number  in  society,  as 
the  conferences  for  this  year  have  not  been  held. 
The  number  will  be  published  in  the  next  an- 
nual Minutes. 

The  society  at  Louisville  has  already  been 
erased  from  the  list  of  missions,  as  the  Germans 
there  support  their  own  preacher.  Others  will 
follow  the  example,  so  soon  as  they  gain  suffi- 
cient strength. 

At  the  last  session  of  the  Indiana  conference, 


133  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

a  new  mission  was  also  established  at  Evans- 
ville,  la. ;  and  at  the  Missouri  conference,  a 
mission  circuit  around  St.  Louis.  At  the  for- 
mer place,  the  German  population  is  numerous 
both  in  town  and  in  the  country  around,  and 
the  call  for  more  laborers  is  loud  and  impres- 
sive. The  fields  are  white  unto  harvest  in  both 
places. 

Upon  a  survey  of  the  whole  work,  we  have 
the  most  encouraging  prospects  to  go  on  and 
continue  laboring  in  this  blessed  cause.  May 
the  Lord  of  the  harvest  send  more  laborers  into 
this  interesting  and  promising  field  ! 

We  will  close  this  chapter  with  the  follow- 
ing remarks  from  the  pen  of  brother  Jacoby. 
They  were  published  sometime  ago  in  the 
Western  Christian  Advocate.  It  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that  the  writer  is  a  converted  German. 

"  When  we  take  a  survey  of  the  work  of  the 
Lord,  as  it  is  increasing  and  prospering  among 
us  Germans;  and  when  we  recollect  how 
dreary  our  condition  was,  when  our  English 
brethren  first  sent  out  some  preachers  to  ex- 
plain to  the  Germans  in  the  west,  the  Gospel 
in  its  purity,  and  to  contend  valiantly  against 
unbelief  and  superstition,  we  must  heartily 
confess,  '  The  Lord  has  done  great  things  for 
us.'  '  What  new  doctrine  do  these  men  teach? 
it  is  not  proper  for  us  to  receive  it,'  was  the 
prevailing  sentiment  when  our  first  preachers 
commenced  to  preach  repentance  and  conver- 
sion to  the  only  true  God,  and  pointed  to  the 
'  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  133 

world;'  yet  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  attended 
their  words.  Souls  were  awakened,  came  out 
from  the  world,  took  up  their  cross  and  follow- 
ed the  Savior ;  and  not  in  vain !  The  Lord 
manifested  himself  to  them  as  a  sin-pardoning 
God,  and  they  commenced  to  confess  him  as 
such.  As  Jesus  had  foretold,  (John  xvi,  20,) 
persecutions  fell  to  their  lot ;  yet,  as  among  the 
primitive  Christians,  these  persecutions  only 
served  to  unite  them  more  closely  in  the  bonds 
of  love,  and  to  lead  them  nearer  to  Christ. 
And  as  the  love  of  God  was  shed  abroad  in 
their  hearts,  they  began  to  feel  more  sensibly 
the  sad  condition  of  their  countrymen,  and  a 
number  went  out  to  publish  to  them  that  salva- 
tion which  is  alone  in  Christ.  In  this  way  our 
missions  commenced,  and  from  all  of  them  we 
receive  the  most  cheering  intelligence.  The 
prejudices  of  our  German  countrymen  are  giv- 
ing Avay  more  and  more ;  they  begin  to  discov- 
er that  we  only  intend  to  explain  to  them  the 
word  of  life,  and  to  point  them  to  the  Savior. 
Facts  also  convince  them  that  conversion  does 
not  merely  consist  in  imagination ;  but  that  it 
is  the  power  of  God  which  ellects  a  uniform 
change,  and  that  persons  who  formerly  were 
the  servants  of  Satan  and  the  lusts  of  this 
world,  now  find  their  greatest  joy  and  happi- 
ness in  the  service  of  God,  and  through  his 
assistance,  lead  a  life  well  pleasing  to  him. 
It  is  true,  many  are  pained  at  our  prosperity : 
however,  the  greater  part  of  these  are  only 
such  as  lose  their  temporal  gain  through  the 
12 


134  ORIGIN    AND   PROGRESS    OF 

conversion  of  their  fellow  men.  In  the  front 
ranks  of  these,  are  the  Catholic  priest  and 
whisky-seller;  and,  notwithstanding  their  ef- 
forts in  every  possible  way,  by  slander  and 
mockings,  to  impede  the  progress  of  this  work, 
they  cannot  retard  it.  The  blessings  of  Heav- 
en are  everywhere  manifest;  souls  are  daily 
converted,  and  unite  with  us,  and  the  number 
of  hearers  increases  every  week.  Four  of  our 
societies  are  now  engaged  in  building  meeting- 
houses. The  Christian  Apologist  is  daily  get- 
ting new  subscribers,  and  the  editor  is  now 
sent  by  our  English  brethren  here,  to  the  prin- 
cipal cities  in  the  east,  in  order  to  acquaint  the 
Germans  there  with  our  paper,  and  to  enter 
into  a  closer  communion  with  Germany.  Ger- 
man books,  for  religious  instruction  and  encour- 
agement, are  being  published,  and  every  thing 
possible  is  done  to  extend  the  work. 

"  Dear  brethren,  should  not  this  excite  our 
gratitude  to  God  ?  Now,  let  each  of  us  con- 
tribute our  mite  to  this.  Every  true  follower 
of  Christ  can  do  something  for  the  Captain  of 
his  salvation ;  1st.  Through  an  upright  Chris- 
tian course  of  conduct,  by  which  the  world, 
will  see  that  he  not  only  confesses  his  Master 
with  his  lips,  but  also  by  his  works.  Through 
this  many  have  been  awakened  from  their  sleep 
in  sin,  and  have,  through  the  aid  of  such  faith- 
ful souls,  found  the  way  of  salvation.  2d.  By 
prayer.  We  know  what  power  the  prayer  of 
the  righteous  has,  (James  v,  16.)  Have  we 
yet  unconverted  parents,  relations,  or  children, 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  135 

or  friends,  let  us  pray  earnestly' and  without 
ceasing  for  them.  The  Lord  will  hear  us.  I 
might  produce  many  examples  of  answers  to 
prayer,  but  every  Christian  has  an  evidence  of 
this  in  himself;  and  this  should  encourage  him 
not  to  become  weary  in  prayer,  as  long  as  one 
soul  remains  for  whose  conversion  he  feels  a 
concern.  And,  3d.  By  contribution.  Let  us, 
so  far  as  our  means  will  allow  us,  contribute  to 
the  spread  of  the  Gospel.  Yet  let  us  bring 
our  oifering,  as  once  the  widow  brought  her 
mite,  Mark  xii,  42,  freely,  with  love  and 
prayer.  Let  us  remember  that  we  too  once 
slumbered  in  the  dark,  and  that  through  the 
free  gift  of  good  people,  preachers  were  sent 
to  us,  who  preached  to  us  the  word  of  God  in 
its  purity,  and  through  which  we  have  been 
brought  to  the  light  of  the  Gospel.  May  the 
blessing  of  God  continue  with  the  German 
work ! " 


CHAPTER  XII. 

RELIGIOUS    EXPERIENCE. 

Having,  in  the  preceding  pages,  given  an 
account  of  the  commencement  and  progress  of 
the  work  of  grace  among  the  Germans,  we 
now  come  to  notice  more  particularly 'its  ope- 
ration in  the  awakening  and  conversion  of  indi- 
vidual cases,  as  evidence  of  the  power  of  the 
Gospel  to  change  the  heart.  Such  cases  are 
living  proofs  of  the  genuineness  of  our  holy 


136  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

religion.  A  large  number  of  these  witnesses 
for  the  truth  might  be  brought  forward,  but  the 
limits  of  the  present  volume  allow  us  to  intro- 
duce but  a  few.  These  are  given  to  show  that 
Roman  Catholics,  infidels,  drunkards,  and  self- 
righteous  professors,  are  all  within  the  reach  of 
God's  mercy,  and  may  be  brought  under  the 
influence  of  the  "  Gospel  of  Christ,  which  is 
the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one 
that  believeth." 

Rev.  William  Nasfs  Experience. — This 
experience  is  extracted  from  his  second  edito- 
rial article  in  the  Christian  Apologist : 

I  was  born  the  15th  of  June,  1807,  in  Stutt- 
gardt,  the  capital  of  the  kingdom  of  Wurtem- 
berg ;  and,  in  my  childhood,  was  dedicated  by 
my  parents  for  the  ministry  in  the  Lutheran 
Church.  The  Spirit  of  God  operated  upon 
my  heart  whilst  I  was  a  child,  and  convinced 
me  that,  to  use  the  words  of  the  Lutheran  Cat- 
echism, I  had,  alas !  sinned  against  God,  and 
had  off'ended  and  provoked  my  faithful  Creator, 
Redeemer,  and  Comforter,  times  without  num- 
ber, and  frequently  intentionally,  and  under  ag- 
gravating circumstances.  Although  I  was  taught, 
that  I  had  received,  in  infant  baptism,  the  prom- 
ise of  the  Lord,  that  he  would  be  a  gracious 
God  to  me,  and  forgive  me  all  my  sins  by  mere 
grace,  for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ,  I  neverthe- 
less understood  well,  that  I  could  not  trust  in 
this  promise  except  I  should  heartily  repent  of 
all  my  past  sins,  and  obtain,  through  a  true  and 
living  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  the  remission  of 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  137 

my  sins,  and  the  renewal  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
so  as  to  be  able  to  call  God,  Abba,  Father,  and 
to  live  according  to  his  commandments.  The 
gracious  Lord  used  especially  my  pious  sisters, 
and  an  evangelical  minister,  a  brother-in-law, 
as  instruments  to  awaken  these  feelings  in  my 
heart.  When  the  period  approached  that  I 
should,  by  the  rite  of  confirmation,  renew  my 
baptismal  vows ;  that  is,  should  renounce  the 
devil  and  all  his  works,  the  pomp  and  vanity 
of  the  world,  and  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  and 
obligate  myself  to  serve  God  the  Father,  and 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  all  the  days  of  my  life; 
then  it  was  that  I  began  fully  to  feel  my  great 
danger,  corruption,  and  misery ;  for  I  was  con- 
scious that  my  heart  was  not  inclined  to  pray, 
and  to  love  God  and  his  commandments,  but 
was  "carnal,  sold  under  sin."  The  Spirit  of 
God  taught  me,  that  I  was  not  able,  by  my  own 
strength,  to  fulfill  the  promise  I  should  make, 
inasmuch  as  in  me,  that  is,  in  my  flesh,  dwelt 
no  good  thing;  and  that,  therefore,  a  total 
change  of  my  heart  must  take  place  through 
the  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Inasmuch 
as  I  believed,  on  the  one  hand,  that  the  wages 
of  sin  is  death ;  and  as  I  knew,  on  the  other 
hand,  that  there  were  some  persons  who  were 
in  Christ  Jesus,  and  walked  not  after  the  flesh, 
but  after  the  Spirit,  I  could  no  longer  quiet  my- 
self in  remaining  carnally  minded  and  sold  un- 
der sin.  My  heart,  oppressed  wdth  sin  and 
guilt,  sought  light  and  comfort  in  the  conversa- 
tions and  prayer  meetings  of  the  despised  Pie- 
12* 


138  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

tists.  I  humbled  myself  before  God,  and  cried 
often  on  ray  knees :  "  0,  Lord  Jesus !  have 
mercy  upon  me !"  My  disti-ess  lasted  several 
weeks,  until  the  evening  of  the  confirmation 
day,  which  I  still  remember  vividly.  It  was  a 
rainy  day:  the  sun  was  covered  with  clouds. 
Trembling  and  weeping,  I  stood  before  the  altar 
and  answered  the  questions.  In  the  evening  I 
hastened  with  a  heavy  heart,  notwithstanding 
the  rain,  to  a  solitary  place  in  the  fields,  in  order 
to  find  the  Lord,  whom  my  soul  longed  after. 
He  heard  my  cries  in  that  hour,  and  sealed  the 
pardon  of  my  sins  upon  my  heart.  The  next 
morning,  the  whole  creation  appeared  to  me  as 
it  had  never  done  before.  Every  thing  looked 
lovely  and  glorious.  On  every  spire  of  grass 
I  saw  the  imprint  of  the  goodness  of  God. 
All  about  me  and  all  within  me  praised  the 
Lord.  My  heart  had  peace  with  God,  and  love 
to  all  men. 

"Jesus  all  the  day  long, 

Was  my  joy  and  my  song ; 
0,  that  ail  his  salvation  might  see! 

He  has  loved  me,  I  cried, 

He  has  suffered  and  died, 
To  redeem  such  a  rebel  as  me. 

"  On  the  wings  of  his  love, 

I  vi^as  carried  above 
All  sin,  and  temptation,  and  pain; 

And  I  could  not  believe, 

That  I  ever  should  grieve, 
That  I  ever  should  sutler  again." 

But,  alas !  I  was  soon  robbed  of  my  child-like 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  139 

faith.  I  was  sent  into  a  theological  seminary, 
which  was  under  Rationalistic  influence ;  and, 
as  the  serpent  beguiled  Eve  through  his  subtil- 
ty,  so  my  mind  was  corrupted  from  the  sim- 
plicity that  is  in  Christ.  Instead  of  being  nour- 
ished with  the  sincere  milk  of  the  word,  that  I 
might  grow  up  thereby  to  a  man  in  Christ,  I 
was  fed  with  heathenish  nectar  and  ambrosia. 
We  read,  indeed,  in  the  original,  Moses  and 
the  prophets;  who,  as  our  Lord  assures  us, 
testify  of  him.  But  according  to  the  interpre- 
tation of  our  professors,  this  was  only  accom- 
modation, and  the  apostles  were  commonly 
mistaken  when  they  applied  the  prophecies  of 
the  Old  Testament.  The  sole  object  of  my 
class-mates  was,  not  to  become  embassadors 
for  Christ,  but  heroes,  poets,  and  philosophers. 
Only  one  inquired  after  the  Savior  of  sinners. 
One  year  I  continued  to  weep  and  pray  in  se- 
cret, and  I  was  often  blessed,  and  strengthened, 
and  revived.  I  felt  the  need  of  a  clean  heart, 
and  tried  to  seek  that  blessing  ;  but  when  I  cor- 
responded upon  this  subject  with  my  distant, 
pious  friends,  they  told  me,  that  the  expecta- 
tion to  be  made  free  from  all  sin  was  spiritual 
pride.  I  then  sinned  and  repented,  and  sinned 
again,  until,  after  repeated  backslidings,  I  cast 
off  my  confidence,  and  was  carried  away  by 
the  torrent  of  the  spirit  of  the  age.  I  fell  into 
the  depths  of  mystical  Pantheism,  the  most 
modern  form  of  atheism.  Nevertheless,  the 
firm  conviction  remained  in  my  heart,  that,  if 
there  was  happiness  to  be  enjoyed  in  another 


140  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS   OF 

world  by  the  poor  soul  of  man,  it  could  only 
be  found  through  faith  in  a  crucified  Redeemer. 

After  I  had  studied  the  ancient  languages  for 
four  years,  and  mental  philosophy  for  two, 
I  withdrew,  voluntarily,  from  the  service  of  the 
Church,  and  paid  for  the  instruction  which  I 
had  received  gratuitously  from  the  Church,  out 
of  my  own  means,  and  my  intention  was,  to 
devote  myself  exclusively  to  science  and  litera- 
ture. My  remaining  in  the  service  of  the 
Church  would  have  secured  to  me  wealth,  hon- 
or and  ease ;  but  my  conscience  did  not  permit 
me  to  profess  and  teach  a  doctrine  which  I  did 
not  believe  from  the  heart,  or,  at  best,  which  I 
interpreted  in  an  entirely  different  sense  from 
the  Church.  I  was  not  willing,  for  the  sake 
of  a  living,  or  to  please  friends,  to  make  a  sol- 
emn promise  of  preaching  according  to  the  arti- 
cles of  religion  in  the  Lutheran  Church,  which 
Rationalism  had  taught  me  to  reject,  and  which 
I  saw  was  rejected  by  most  of  the  doctors  of 
divinity,  and  their  scholars.  I  was  conscious, 
too,  that,  according  to  the  holy  Scriptures,  I 
was  no  Christian,  and  nothing  appeared  more 
absurd  to  me,  than,  that  a  man,  who  is  him- 
self unreconciled  to  God,  and  resists  his  holy 
Spirit,  should  dare  to  preach  the  word  of  recon- 
ciliation. 

I  sought  rest  for  my  soul  in  the  arts  and  sci- 
ences, but  could  not  find  it.  Then  the  God  of 
mercy  stretched  out  his  arm  after  the  prodigal 
son,  and  led  him  in  a  way  Avhich  he  did  not 
know.     I  heard  much  of  the  liberties  of  the 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  141 

United  States,  and  was  informed  that  there  was 
a  scarcity  of  classical  teachers.  This  inspired 
me  with  a  desire  to  see  this  country.  I  arrived 
at  New  York  in  the  fall  of  1828;  and  four 
years  afterward,  it  pleased  God  to  awaken  me 
thoroughly  at  a  Methodist  camp  meeting,  in 
Tuscarawas  valley,  Pennsylvania,  the  second 
time.  The  scales  fell  from  my  eyes.  I  saw 
and  felt  that  I  had  despised  the  atoning  blood 
of  Jesus  Christ — that  I  had  been  blinded  by 
Satan,  and  had  heaped  wrath  upon  wrath.  I 
did  not  harden  myself  against  this  call  of  God, 
which  I  considered  the  last,  but  wrestled,  and, 
with  many  tears,  supplicated  God  to  forgive 
my  sins,  and  renew  my  heart.  For  nearly 
three  years,  however,  it  seemed  as  if  the  Lord 
had  cast  me  off  for  ever,  and  would  be  favora- 
ble to  me  no  more — as  if  his  mercy  was  clean 
gone  for  ever — as  if  God  had  forgotten  to  be 
gracious — as  if  he  had,  in  anger,  shut  up  his 
tender  mercies.  But,  blessed  be  his  holy 
name !  I  had  now  found  a  city  of  refuge  in  the 
Methodist  Church.  One  Methodist  preacher 
after  another  raised  my  spirits,  from  time  to 
time,  and  kept  them  from  sinking  into  despair, 
by  pointing  me  to  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh 
away  the  sins  of  the  world.  When  I  was  on 
the  point  of  giving  up  the  struggle,  I  was  again 
encouraged  by  the  members  of  the  Church, 
who  prayed  fervently  with  me  and  for  me. 
And  often  did  I  hear,  in  class  meetings  and 
love  feasts,  this  people  of  God  testify,  from 
blessed  experience,  that  Jesus  casts  out  none 


142  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

that  come  to  him.  Never  can  I  forget  the 
gratitude  which  I  owe  to  my  Methodist  breth- 
ren. They  will  receive  their  reward  in  heaven. 
Through  their  faith  and  love,  the  smoking  flax 
was  kept  from  being  quenched.  I  did  not  let 
the  Lord  go  until  he  blessed  me.  It  was  on 
the  18th  of  January,  1835,  that  I  was  born 
again,  unto  a  lively  hope,  with  joy  unspeakable 
and  full  of  glory — to  an  inheritance  incorrupti- 
ble and  undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not  away, 
reserved  in  heaven  for  those  who  are  kept  by 
the  power  of  God  through  faith  unto  salvation. 
I  gave  myself  to  the  Lord,  without  reserve.  I 
could  not  refrain  from  confessing  publicly, 
what  great  things  the  Lord  had  done  for  me, 
and  how  merciful  he  was  to  me.  I  also  warn- 
ed and  exhorted  my  fellow  men.  I  became 
convinced  that  now  was  the  time  to  perform 
the  service  in  the  Gospel,  which  my  parents 
promised  to  the  Lord  in  my  stead,  and  to  be- 
come a  witness  of  the  long  continued  patience  of 
our  great  Shepherd,  in  seeking  that  which  was 
lost.  The  Church,  of  which  I  had  become  a 
member,  also  called  me  to  the  work,  on  which 
account  I  left,  in  August,  1835,  a  situation  as 
teacher  of  ancient  languages,  at  an  English  col- 
lege, and  was  received  by  the  Ohio  conference 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  into  the 
traveling  connection. 

Will  any  of  my  readers  find  fault  with  me, 
that  I  left  the  Church  in  which  I  was  brought 
up,  and  joined  the  Methodists?  Do  not  the 
providence  of  God,  and  the  fact  that  it  pleased 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  143 

the  Spirit  of  grace  to  make  the  Methodists  the 
instrument  of  my  conversion,  fully  justify  my 
change  ?  If  any  should  hesitate  to  answer  this 
question  affirmatively,  I  beg  him  to  examine 
the  doctrines  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  he 
will  be  convinced  that  she  is  built  upon  the 
same  unshaken  rock  as  Luther  built  upon, 
namely,  "  That  a  man  is  justified  through 
faith  by  grace  alone."  The  differences  which 
exist  between  the  Lutheran  and  Methodist  de- 
nominations, consist  only  in  their  present  re- 
spective state  of  spirituality,  in  their  discipline, 
and  especially  in  the  manner  in  which  the  min- 
isters of  the  Gospel  are  called  to  their  work. 
With  regard  to  these  points,  I  freely  confess 
that  a  deliberate  and  prayerful  comparison  of 
what  I  have  seen  with  my  own  eye,  heard 
with  my  own  ear,  and  felt  in  my  own  heart, 
with  what  is  contained  in  the  holy  Scriptures, 
has  induced  me  to  prefer  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  to  the  Church  of  my  fathers ;  and 
I  have  as  yet  found  no  reason  to  regret  my 
separation  from  it,  but  am,  every  day,  more 
thankful  for  the  high  privileges  which  I  enjoy, 
as  a  Methodist. 

Rev.  George  A.  Breunig^s  Experience. — 
This  experience  is  translated  from  the  Chris- 
tian Apologist : 

I  was  born  of  Roman  Catholic  parents,  in 
Germany,  who  used  their  best  endeavors  to 
have  me  instructed  in  every  thing  necessary  to 
my  present  and  everlasting  well  being.  I  was 
early  made  acquainted  with  the  means  of  grace, 


144  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

or  sacraments,  of  which  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  acknowledges  seven,  namely,  1.  Bap- 
tism. 2.  Confirmation.  3.  Sacrament  of  the 
Altar.  4.  Penance.  5.  Extreme  Unction.  6. 
The  consecration  of  the  Priest.  7.  Marriage. 
Notwithstanding  the  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
as  she  believes,  is  so  rich  in  the  means  of  grace, 
and  I  had  observed  the  most  of  them,  yet  I  was 
ungodly,  and  became  more  so  from  day  to  day. 
I  sought  the  pleasures  of  the  world  as  much  as 
was  in  my  power,  and  my  disposition  for  these 
increased  daily.  I  was,  however,  not  concern- 
ed on  that  account,  for  I  comforted  myself  with 
the  reflection  that  I  was  a  Catholic  Christian. 
Often  I  heard  from  the  pulpit,  in  the  school, 
and  from  my  parents,  how  much  better  we 
were  ofl^,  than  thousands  of  our  fellow  men, 
who  were  not  Roman  Catholic  Christians,  and 
on  that  account,  could  have  no  hope  of  salva- 
tion. (May  God  have  mercy  upon  tlie  poor 
people  who  have  no  hope  of  salvation,  and 
upon  those  who  think  they  alone  have  a  hope  !) 
When  I  thought  of  dying,  it  is  true,  I  did  not 
expect  that  I  could  get  to  heaven,  but  to  purga- 
tory, of  which  I  was  not  so  much  afraid,  ber 
cause  it  was  only  to  last  for  a  time.  Yet,  at 
certain  times,  I  felt  very  restless,  on  account  of 
my  sins,  and  then  would  go  to  confession. 
Confession  was  always  a  hard  task  for  me ; 
because  I  was  taught  in  the  school,  that  no  sins 
dare  be  kept  secret,  but  that  each  particular  sin, 
of  whatever  kind  it  might  be,  must  be  faithfully 
related  to  the  priest,  who  is  himself  a  sinful 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  145 

man.  Of  this  I  was  very  much  ashamed.  Re- 
gardless of  hhii,  it,  alas,  often  happened,  that  I 
spent  the  afternoon  of  the  holy  Sabbath  in 
committing  the  same  sins  which  I  had  confes- 
sed in  the  forenoon,  and  for  which  I  had  taken 
the  sacrament.  This  was,  to  be  sure,  not  the 
preacher's  fault,  inasmuch  as  he  had  exhorted 
me,  in  the  confession  chair,  to  do  so  no  more. 
Also,  from  time  to  time,  my  conscience  re- 
minded me  of  death  and  judgment.  I  endeav- 
ored, however,  to  dismiss  these  thoughts  from 
my  mind,  by  observing  my  fellow  men,  who 
were,  by  almost  every  one,  esteemed  good 
Christians.  Even  our  school-teacher,  who, 
owing  to  his  situation,  should  especially  have 
given  a  good  example,  and  was  considered  a 
good  Christian,  was,  notwithstanding,  a  distin- 
guished lover  of  card  playing  and  dancing ;  and 
not  till  some  years  after,  when  an  illegitimate 
daughter  sued  him  for  her  part  of  his  inheri- 
tance, and  in  that  manner  made  manifest  his 
disgrace,  Avere  the  eyes  of  the  people  opened 
to  the  fact  that  he  was  not  a  Christian.  By 
this,  I  do  not  finally  condemn  this  school- 
teacher. May  God  grant  him  true  repentance, 
that  he  may  obtain  mercy,  and  stand  in  that 
day  !  Even  my  preacher  was  often  seen  at  the 
card  table,  and  in  the  dancing  room,  and  this, 
withal,  on  the  Lord's  day !  May  the  Savior 
open  the  eyes  of  the  understanding  of  the  de- 
ceiver, as  well  as  of  the  deceived !  Teachers 
teach  in  the  school,  and  preachers  from  the 
pulpit,  and  in  the  confession  chair,  that  we 
13 


146  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

must  do  no  evil ;  but  in  their  conduct,  many  of 
them  are  examples  of  wickedness,  and  manifest 
their  unrighteousness  in  all  kinds  of  ways.  In 
Moses'  seat  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  are  seat- 
ed, "  All,  therefore,  whatsoever  they  bid  you 
observe,  that  observe  and  do."  (If  it  is  accord- 
ing to  the  Scripture,  the  Savior  means.)  "  But 
do  not  ye  after  their  works :  for  they  say  and 
do  not."  The  woe  is  pronounced  upon  them 
by  the  Savior,  "If  the  blind  lead  the  blind, 
both  will  fall  into  the  ditch."  But  is  there,  as 
I  was  taught,  a  nethermost  hell,  then  it  will  be 
for  the  false  teachers.  0,  what  a  dreadful  con- 
demnation will  the  false  prophets  finally  have 
to  bear,  because  they  have  dragged  so  many 
souls  with  them  into  everlasting  destruction.  I 
will  again  speak  of  myself.  Until  the  23d 
year  of  my  age,  I  participated  in  all  the  pleas- 
ures of  the  world,  notwithstanding,  I,  as  alrea- 
dy remarked,  from  time  to  time,  according  to 
custom,  went  to  confession,  and  also  frequently, 
thank  God,  heard  the  voice  speaking  to  my 
heart. 

About  this  time  the  Pope  proclaimed  a  jubi- 
lee throughout  all  Roman  Christendom.  Men. 
were  to  be  released  from  all  present  and  eternal 
punishment  by  following  certain  precepts : 
namely,  to  visit  a  certain  number  of  particular 
churches,  to  pray  over  a  certain  number  of 
beads  each  day,  to  abstain  from  certain  meats, 
go  to  confession  and  communion ;  and  should 
one  die  during  this  time,  he  was  not  to  go  to 
purgatory,  but  immediately  to  heaven.     When 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  147 

I  heard  this  I  believed  that  the  Pope  had  known 
my  condition,  because  he  suffered  such  a  mer- 
ciful jubilee.  I  now  expected  to  be  made  free 
from  all  the  burden  of  my  sins,  and  therefore 
observed  all  the  precepts  punctiliously.  But 
my  corroding  conscience  did  not  suffer  itself 
to  be  thus  quieted.  By  grace  we  are  saved 
through  faith,  and  not  by  the  deeds  of  the  law 
neither  will  God  give  the  honor  of  pardoning 
the  sinner  to  man,  nor  even  to  the  Pope.  My 
soul  would  not  be  comforted,  thirsting  for  some- 
thing else.  When  God  had  so  powerfully 
called  me,  and  I  promised  him  to  mend  my 
life,  I  felt  an  inward  hatred  to  the  sins  I  had 
previously  loved ;  I  kept  myself  from  all  vain 
company,  and  became  delighted  with  reading 
and  praying.  Notwithstanding  I  had  kept  what 
had  passed  in  my  mind  a  secret,  and  believed 
that  it  was  only  known  to  God,  yet  my  father 
and  the  family  soon  observed  that  there  was  a 
great  change  in  me.  They  were  rejoiced  at 
this,  that  I  had  become  more  virtuous ;  but  I 
was  often  reminded  of  the  hours  when  I  had 
felt  the  wrath  of  God  abiding  upon  me,  and 
often  doubted  whether  my  sins  were  pardoned. 
Pardoned  they  were  not;  yet,  through  the 
mercy  of  God,  the  law  became  my  schoolmas- 
ter, until  his  grace  in  Christ  appeared  to  me. 
The  Lord  permitted  me  to  see  the  nature  of 
sin ;  and  I  found  it  insupportable  to  live  with 
ungodly  people :  I  looked  in  vain  for  good  peo- 
ple. Then  I  thought  if  I  should  travel  to  Amer- 
ica, I  could  there  serve  God  in  solitude  as  1 


148  ORIGIN    AND   PROGRESS   OF 

wished  to  do.  But  now  I  lacked  means  for 
traveling,  for  I  was  poor.  But  God,  my  heaven- 
ly Father,  is  rich ;  with  him  there  is  no  want 
of  ways  and  means,  and  he  always  helps  those 
that  fear  him.  He  inclined  the  heart  of  a  very 
wealthy  neighbor  to  go  to  America.  I  disclosed 
to  him  my  desire  to  go  with  him,  and  wished 
him  to  let  me  have  the  loan  of  money  to  take 
me  on  my  journey;  which  he  did.  We  came 
in  the  year  1833;  and,  through  the  blessing  of 
God,  in  two  years  I  was  able  to  pay  my  bene- 
factor. May  God  richly  bless  him  for  that 
which  he  has  done  for  me !  Through  this 
means  I  came  to  a  country  where  religious  liber- 
ty exists,  and  where  all  may  obtain  and  read  the 
Bible.  Praise  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  forget 
not  all  his  benefits  to  me ! 

When  I  arrived  in  Baltimore,  I  embraced  the 
first  opportunity  to  go  to  confession  and  to  com- 
munion, and  renewed  my  determination  to  lead 
a  life  well  pleasing  to  God.  Soon  after  this,  I 
became  acquainted  with  a  Lutheran,  who  was 
a  very  friendly  man.  As  often  as  we  conversed 
together  on  the  subject  of  religion,  deep  sighs 
would  arise  from  my  breast.  He  smiled,  and. 
asked  me  why  I  sighed  ?  upon  which  I  disclos- 
ed to  him  the  condition  of  my  soul.  He  prais- 
ed God,  and  said  this  was  the  new  birth.  I 
was  much  astonished  at  that  which  he  told  me, 
of  which  I  had  never  heard  before.  I  was  re- 
joiced to  have  found  a  man  to  whom  I  could 
open  my  heart,  and  endeavored,  accordingly, 
to  believe  his  instruction,  that  God  had  pardon- 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  149 

ed  my  sins ;  but  I  could  only  believe  this  at 
certain  times ;  and  at  times  again,  my  faith 
would  forsake  me  entirely,  because  I  yet  felt 
the  dominion  of  sin,  and  had  a  tormenting  fear 
of  death.  Not  until  three  years  afterward,  did 
I  experience  that  this  was  not  the  new  birth, 
but  only  the  commencement  of  the  work  of 
grace — that  the  new-born  soul  feels  peace  with 
God,  through  Jesus  Christ,  as  a  sick  man  feels 
when  he  has  obtained  a  remedy  for  his  disease. 
To  tell,  however,  how  I  obtained  this,  I  must 
again  return  to  my  Lutheran  friend.  He  ex- 
horted me  to  read  the  Bible,  and  especially  the 
New  Testament;  and  said  when  I  prayed,  I 
should  pray  to  no  one  but  God,  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ ;  that  I  should  not  call  upon  the 
saints,  nor  the  mother  of  Christ,  to  make  inter- 
cession for  me ;  for  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only 
Mediator  and  Intercessor  between  God  and 
man.  He  told  me  that  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  held  some  injurious  and  gross  errors. 
This  I  did  not  love  to  hear ;  and  I  answered 
that  the  Roman  Church  commands  nothing  that 
is  unnecessary — that  it  was  all  good  and  whole- 
some, if  correctly  used;  yet  scruples  entered 
my  mind  in  reference  to  my  answer.  I  asked 
myself,  have  you  not  kept  all  things  that  the 
Church  commanded  you,  and  are  you  not,  after 
all,  a  poor  sinner,  exposed  to  damnation?  I 
therefore  followed  the  counsel  of  my  friend, 
and  commenced  to  read  the  New  Testament. 
Wisely  he  pointed  me  to  the  following  passa- 
ges :  "  A  bishop,  then,  must  be  the  husband  of 
13* 


150  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

one  wife — one  that  ruleth  well  his  own  house, 
having  his  children  in  subjection  with  all  grav- 
ity," 1  Timothy  iii,  1-5.  Again,  "  Now  the 
Spirit  speaketh  expressly,  that  in  the  latter 
times  some  shall  depart  from  the  faith,  giving 
heed  to  seducing  spirits,  and  doctrines  of  devils  ; 
speaking  lies  in  hypocrisy ;  having  their  con- 
science seared  with  a  hot  iron;  forbidding  to 
marry,  and  commanding  to  abstain  from  meats, 
which  God  hath  created  to  be  received  with 
thanksgiving  of  them  which  believe  and  know 
the  truth.  For  every  creature  of  God  is  good, 
and  nothing  to  be  refused,  if  it  be  received  with 
thanksgiving :  for  it  is  sanctified  by  the  word 
of  God  and  prayer,"  1  Timothy  iv,  1-5.  These 
passages  brought  me  to  reflection.  Above  all, 
I  wished  to  examine  whether  the  Lutheran  Bi- 
ble agreed  with  the  Catholic.  I  therefore  bor- 
rowed a  Catholic  Testament.  The  compari- 
son of  one  with  the  other,  convinced  me  that 
these  passages  were  the  same  in  the  Catholic 
Testament.  God  gave  me  grace  to  believe  that 
it  was  his  infallible  word,  and  that  men  are  fal- 
lible, and  liable  to  turn  aside  from  his  word.  I 
now  visited  my  friend  frequently,  in  order  to 
obtain  an  opportunity  to  read  in  his  Bible.  My 
confidence  increased,  and  I  obtained  more  and 
more  light ;  yet  I  did  not  think  that  I  would 
leave  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  contin- 
ued two  years  in  this  determination.  I  went 
diligently  to  church,  and  embraced  all  oppor- 
tunities to  serve  God.  During  this  time,  it  also 
happened  that  a  Catholic  oflTered  to  sell  me  a 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  151 

New  Testament.  He  said  he  had  read  enough 
in  it  in  his  youth,  and  Avould  have  nothing  more 
to  do  with  it.  I  gave  him  fifty  cents  for  it,  and 
was  now  very  much  rejoiced  that  I,  for  myself, 
had  once  obtained  a  New  Testament.  My  de- 
light in  reading  increased  from  day  to  day. 
My  conscience,  Hkewise,  became  more  and 
more  tender.  I  spent  all  my  evening  hours  in 
reading.  My  spiritual  eyes  were  more  and 
more  opened,  and  the  light  shone  brighter  and 
brighter.  The  words  of  the  Gospel  shone  into 
my  heart.  The  words  of  Jesus  were  to  me 
quickening,  full  of  comfort  and  instruction. 
Soon  after  this  I  bought  myself  a  Bible,  which 
I  read  in  my  shop,  in  order  to  improve  every 
leisure  moment  I  had  in  reading.  I  also  some- 
times went  into  the  Lutheran  church,  not  with 
any  intention  to  leave  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  but  only  in  order  to  prove  the  doctrine. 
I  must,  however,  confess,  that  soon  I  liked  the 
preaching  and  singing  in  the  Lutheran  church 
much  better  than  the  Roman  Catholic  manner 
of  worship ;  for  I  understood  what  was  sung 
and  could  join  in  singing;  while  from  the  mass 
there  was  nothing  for  my  understanding  nor 
heart ;  and  when  it  was  over,  it  was  to  me  like 
an  empty  dream,  from  which  one  awaketh. 
From  the  Lutheran  sermons  I  likewise  received 
more  benefit,  because  I  heard  more  of  Jesus, 
and  the  word  preached  according  to  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Bible.  I  was  now  so  far  acquainted 
with  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  that  I  could 
no  more  believe  in  the  adoration  of  the  saints 


152  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS    OF 

and  relics,  and  purgatory,  and  such  like  things. 
I  also  no  longer  believed  in  mass,  because  I 
never  had  obtained  a  benefit  from  it.  It  was 
very  objectionable  to  my  mind,  that  worship 
in  mass  and  vesper  were  performed  in  the  Latin 
language,  which  J.  could  not  understand.  I 
could,  truly,  with  many  others,  say  them  off, 
but  knew  not  the  meaning  of  the  words.  How 
foolish  and  sinful  it  is  to  approach  God  in  prayer 
without  knowing  what  we  say  ! 

A  priest  who  heard  of  me,  visited  me  during 
this  time,  in  order  to  warn  me  against  falling 
off.  I  told  him  that  I  intended  to  believe  noth- 
ing else  but  the  Bible ;  whereupon  he  answered 
me  that  the  primitive  Christians  had  no  Bibles, 
and  that  we  dare  not,  alone,  follow  the  Bible. 
I  told  him  that  the  primitive  Christians  had  the 
Old  Testament  and  the  four  Gospels,  and  be- 
fore the  apostles  departed  from  this  world,  they 
also  had  the  Epistles  in  their  possession.  He 
sought,  by  all  kinds  of  artful  persuasion,  to 
turn  me  from  my  simplicity  and  sincerity  in  the 
faith  of  the  Gospel,  and  recommended  a  book 
to  me  which  he  would  send  me,  and  which  I 
had  to  promise  to  read.  This  book  I  found  full 
of  pretended  showings,  that  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic was  the  only  infallible  and  true  Church; 
but  the  most  of  the  arguments  were  not  taken 
from  the  Bible,  but  from  primitive  fathers ;  and 
among  those  that  were  taken  from  the  Bible, 
I  the  sense  of  the  inspired  writers  was,  in  many 
1  places,  misrepresented.  So,  through  the  preacli- 
I  er  and  the  book,  I  was  brought  to  discover,  that 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  153 

if  I  would  read  and  believe  the  Bible,  I  could 
not  remain  a  Roman  Catholic  ;  and  if  I  would 
remain  one,  I  must  lay  aside  the  Bible,  and 
content  myself  with  what  the  priest  would  tell 
me.  I  was  now  brought  to  an  inward  conflict. 
The  scoffs  which  I  would  have  to  endure  from 
my  acquaintances,  if  I  should  go  out  from 
among  them ;  the  ill  will  of  my  father  and  my 
relations,  if  they  should  hear  of  it ;  the  fearful 
curse  pronounced  by  the  Romans  upon  those 
who  are  disobedient  to  their  Church;  these 
things,  like  great  mountains,  stood  in  my  way. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  appeared  impossible  for 
me  to  lay  aside  the  word  of  God,  for  it  was 
sweeter  to  my  soul  than  honey  or  the  honey- 
comb. It  had  drawn  my  heart,  as  the  magnet 
draws  the  metal.  When  I  read  it,  I  thought  that 
every  word  gave  witness  that  the  Bible  contain- 
ed nothing  but  God's  truth. 

Frequently,  while  reading,  I  would  have  to 
involuntarily  fall  upon  my  knees,  and  with  a 
loud  voice,  praise  God  for  his  unspeakable  gift. 
However,  after  I  had  read  the  priest's  book, 
doubts  and  darkness  came  upon  me  :  my  heart 
was  broken  down,  and  my  eyes  were  filled  with 
tears.  At  a  certain  time,  my  inward  conflict 
rose  so  high,  that  I  was  on  the  borders  of  des- 
pair. I  did  not  regard  the  persecution  of  my 
friends.  My  only  concern  was,  to  find  the 
right  way.  I  felt  that  I  could  no  longer  live, 
without  certainty  in  religion.  I  could  not  de- 
pend upon  man.  The  Catholics  could  not  take 
from  me  the  light  that  God  had   given  to  me. 


154  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

Neither  could  the  Lutherans,  (notwithstanding 
they  did  all  they  could,)  give  me  that  peace 
which  my  soul  desired.  In  this  disposition  of 
mind,  I  went  once,  at  midnight,  under  the  open 
sky,  threw  myself  upon  my  knees,  and  called 
upon  God,  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  "O,  God, 
that  hast  said,  '  If  a  child  should  ask  bread  of 
a  father,  would  he  give  him  a  stone  ?  and  if  he 
should  ask  for  a  fish,  would  he  give  him  a  ser- 
pent ?  If  ye,  then,  being  evil,  can  give  good 
gifts  unto  your  children,  how  much  more  will 
God  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him.' 
O,  God,  most  merciful  Savior,  thou  art  not  like 
unto  man;  thou  knowest  what  I  desire.  I 
desire  to  get  upon  the  right  way,  and  walk 
therein.  O,  teach  thou  me  what  I  shall  do." 
In  this  manner  I  prayed  for  some  length  of 
time,  and  then  retired  to  my  bed  again.  I 
could,  however,  sleep  but  little,  for  my  soul 
was  engaged  for  the  one  thing  needful.  As  I 
entered  the  work-shop  in  the  morning,  the  first 
thing  I  viewed  was  the  Bible,  which  was  lay- 
ing by  the  side  of  the  priest's  book,  upon  a 
bench.  I  felt  an  inexpressible  drawing  toward 
the  Bible.  I  took  it,  kissed  it,  and  leaped  for. 
joy.  I  opened  and  read,  and  every  letter  ap- 
peared to  say  to  me,  this  is  the  way  to  truth. 
I  looked  at  the  priest's  book  with  disapproba- 
tion, and  also  soon  sent  it  back  to  the  priest. 
Blessed  be  God,  my  Savior,  who  has  establish- 
ed my  heart ! 

From  this  time,  I  went  no  more  to  the  Ro- 
man Catholic  Church.     Now  I  was  pointed  at 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  155 

by  the  finger  of  scorn.  I,  however,  was  not 
concerned  about  it.  My  nearest  friend,  a  rigid 
Catholic,  did  all  he  could  to  win  me  back,  and 
said  I  would  go  where  M.  Luther  is.  "  Yes," 
replied  I,  "yes,  dear  brother,  this  is  my  ear- 
nest desire.  I  firmly  believe  that  he  is  in  heav- 
en," (when  I  said  this,  my  friend  turned  pale, 
and  crossed  himself,)  "like  Huss,  and  many 
others,  whom  the  Romish  Church  executed, 
through  her  inquisitions ;  and  had  they  the 
power  this  day,  I  too,  would  have  been  led  to 
the  slaughter  bench.  Yet,  I  believe,  that  for 
Jesus  and  the  sake  of  his  trudi,  I  should  be 
willing  to  suffer  all."  Whereupon  my  friend 
said  I  had  drank  whisky,  and  showed  me  the 
room  door.  I  remembered  that  they  called  my 
Savior  a  wine-bibber,  and  said  Peter  was 
drunken  with  new  wine,  and  was  glad  to  suffer 
reproach  for  Jesus'  sake.  So  far  God  had 
enlightened  me  through  his  precious  word,  but 
I  lacked  something  yet  of  being  a  Christian. 
I  was  acquainted  with  some  Lutheran  brethren, 
who,  like  myself,  were  seeking  the  salvation 
of  their  souls.  We  agreed  to  hold  a  prayer 
meeting  once  a  week,  of  which  the  Lutheran 
preacher  himself  was  the  leader.  He  was  an 
honest  man,  who  taught  us  the  way  as  well  as 
he  knew  it  himself;  but  as  he  was  infirm,  he 
soon  left  us  ;  exhorting  us,  however,  before  his 
departure,  that  we  should  continue  to  assemble 
for  prayer,  and  appointing  me  for  the  leader. 
We  obeyed  his  instruction,  but  found  ourselves 
much  embarrassed,  because  none  of  us  would 


156  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS   OF 

venture  to  pray  extemporaneously  in  public, 
notwithstanding  we  could  pray  in  secret ;  but 
God  helped  us  in  our  extremity.  In  the  house 
where  we  held  our  meeting,  I  met  a  man  whom 
I  heard  speak  with  the  landlord  on  the  subject 
of  religion,  and  whom  I  loved,  and  in  whom  I 
had  confidence.  I  laid  our  case  before  him, 
and  asked  him  to  become  our  leader,  to  which 
he  consented.  He  opened  our  meeting  with 
singing  and  prayer,  read  a  portion  of  Scripture, 
and  exhorted  us  from  it,  and  then  called  upon 
us  to  pray.  We  all  excused  ourselves,  where- 
upon he  concluded  with  prayer,  himself,  and 
asked  us  whether  we  would  meet  again.  We 
met  again  the  following  Sabbath,  as  there  was 
no  preaching  in  the  Lutheran  church,  at  that 
time.  After  he  had  opened  the  meeting,  as 
before,  he  explained  to  us  more  clearly  the  na- 
ture of  evangelical  repentance ;  and  that  upon 
repentance,  faith  must  follow,  through  which 
we  receive  the  forgiveness  of  our  sins ;  and 
that  without  it  we  could  not  inherit  the  kingdom 
of  God.  While  he  was  speaking,  it  pleased 
God  to  baptize  me  with  fire  and  with  the  Holy 
Ghost.  It  appeared  to  me  as  if  mountains  lay- 
upon  my  heart.  My  burden  pressed  me  so 
heavily  that  I  cried  aloud  to  God.  I  sought  to 
restrain  myself,  but  could  not.  I  then  cast 
myself  into  the  arms  of  Jesus,  who  says, 
"  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  are  weary  and 
heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest;"  and, 
also,  I  obtained  peace  with  God.  Now  my 
mouth  was  opened,  and  I  could  pray  and  praise 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  157 

God ;  for  I  was  made  a  partaker  of  the  Spirit, 
through  which  I  could  cry,  "  Abba,  Father." 
The  Spirit  of  God  gave  witness  to  my  spirit, 
that  I  was  a  child  of  God.  Old  things  had 
passed  away,  and  behold,  all  things  had  become 
new.  Every  word  in  the  Bible  spoke  peace 
to  my  soul.  Soon  afterward,  my  wife  and  six- 
teen of  my  brothers  and  sisters,  received  the 
same  blessing. 

But  now,  new  persecution  commenced.  The 
Lutherans  united  with  the  Catholics  in  perse- 
cuting us.  Soon  after,  another  Lutheran  preach- 
er came,  who  was  a  strict  observer  of  the  letter. 
He  became  our  enemy,  and  alas,  offended  many 
of  these  little  ones,  who  believed  in  Jesus. 

This  is  the  conclusion  of  my  experience  of 
true  Christianity.  I  will  now  add  some 
thoughts  on  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 

I  was  often  asked  if  I  could  not  be  a  good 
Christian  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and 
if  I  believed  that  there  were  no  good  persons 
in  it?  The  latter  I  did  not  doubt  in  the  least, 
but  the  former  I  had  to  answer  in  the  negative. 
If  I  had  remained  in  the  Romish  Church,  I 
would  have  gone  against  my  conscience  and 
convictions ;  and  Avho  can  be  well  pleasing  to 
God  who  opposes  his  Spirit  and  his  own  con- 
science? All  who  receive  the  Bible  as  the 
word  of  God,  and  read  it  with  attention,  must 
acknowledge  that  the  teaching  of  the  Romish 
Church  directly  contradicts  the  holy  Scrip- 
tures, and,  instead  of  leading  the  wanderer  to 
God,  leads  him  still  further  astray. 
14 


158  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

The  worship  of  saints  is  a  leading  away 
from  God.  God  says,  "I  will  not  give  my 
glory  to  another."  But,  say  the  Roman  Cath- 
olics, "  We  do  not  worship  the  saints,  but  only 
call  upon  God  through  them ;  and  through  their 
intercession  with  God,  we  obtain  that  for  which 
we  pray."  This  doctrine  arose  from  the  bot- 
tomless pit,  and  came  from  the  father  of  lies. 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  intercessor:  "For 
there  is  one  God,  and  one  Mediator  between 
God  and  man,  the  man  Christ  Jesus,"  1  Tim. 
ii,  5.  It  is  also  to  be  observed,  that  while  some 
Catholics  believe  that  alone  through  the  inter- 
cession of  the  saints  we  are  made  worthy  to 
approach  Jesus,  the  greater  part,  who  have  but 
limited  views  of  religion,  expect  their  help  en- 
tirely and  alone  from  the  saints.  But  not  alone 
the  command,  "Thou  shalt  have  no  gods  be- 
side me,"  but  also  the  command,  "Thou  shalt 
not  make  unto  thee  any  graven  images,  nor 
likeness  of  any  thing  that  is  in  heaven  above, 
or  that  is  in  the  earth  beneath,  or  that  is  in  the 
waters  under  the  earth,"  has  been  violated  by 
the  Romish  Church.  God  well  knew  that  the 
making  of  images  would  lead  to  idolatry,  and 
notwithstanding  the  enlightened  ones  among 
them  are  ashamed  of  the  doctrine  of  their 
Church  on  these  points,  and  do  not  wish  to  be 
counted  simple  enough  to  worship  saints  and 
relics,  yet  it  is  known  to  the  world  that  the 
greater  part  of  them  bow  and  kneel  to  images. 

Go  to  Austria  and  old  Berne,  and  you  will 
find   heathens   kneeling  before   their  images. 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  159 

Again,  go  to  Asia  and  Africa,  and  you  would 
imagine  you  see  Catholics  kneeling  before  their 
images.  In  the  Bible  we  find  nothing  of  the 
worshiping  of  saints,  but  directly  the  contrary. 
"Call  upon  me  in  the  day  of  trouble,  and  I 
will  deliver  you,"  saith  God.  "  Whatsoever 
ye  shall  ask  the  Father  in  my  name,  I  will  give 
you,"  is  the  promise  of  the  Savior. 

I  believe  that  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
would  be  frightened,  if  she  could  see  many 
of  the  saints  that  she  worships.  Others  that 
may  be  in  heaven,  we  should  leave  undisturbed. 
As  faithful  followers  of  the  Lamb,  they  are 
truly  worthy  of  honor ;  yet  they  have  to  con- 
fess of  themselves,  after  they  have  done  all, 
"  We  are  unprofitable  servants,"  and  are  saved 
by  grace ;  and  the  honor  of  the  good  we  have 
done  through  grace,  all  belongs  to  God,  who 
created  us  thereunto  in  Jesus  Christ.  If  it  were 
the  will  of  God  that  the  saints  should  answer 
when  called  upon,  they  would,  undoubtedly, 
say  what  the  angel  told  John,  Rev.  xix,  10: 
"  See  that  thou  do  it  not :  I  am  thy  fellow  ser- 
vant, and  of  thy  brethren."  They  would  do 
like  Peter,  who,  as  Cornelius  fell  down  to  wor- 
ship him,  raised  him  up.  Sic,  Acts  x,  25,  26. 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  and  all-sufficient  inter- 
cessor with  God  for  us.  0  that  my  brethren 
would  acquaint  themselves  with  the  Bible !  then 
they  would  become  acquainted  with  the  char- 
acter of  the  Savior.  Who  is  of  so  much  love 
and  mercy,  humility  and  friendship,  as  Jesus  ? 
No  one  who  is  sincere  need  be  afraid  of  him. 


160  ORIGIN    ANl)   PROGRESS   OF 

He  says,  "  Whosoever  will  come  unto  me,  I 
will  in  no  wise  cast  him  off."  How  he  calls 
and  invites  us,  "  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that 
are  weary  and  heavy  laden :  I  will  give  you 
rest."  Cast  your  eyes  to  Golgotha — there  ever- 
lasting love  hangs  upon  the  cross  with  out- 
stretched arms,  calling  and  thirsting  for  poor 
sinners.  The  thief  freely  prayed  to  him, 
*'  Lord,  remember  me  when  thou  comest  into  thy 
kingdom ;"  whereupon  he  immediately  receiv- 
ed the  answer,  "  This  day  shalt  thou  be  with 
me  in  paradise." 

The  doctrine  of  purgatory  is  another  great 
error,  the  bad  effects  of  which  will  only  be 
fully  realized  in  eternity.  How  many  quiet 
their  own  souls  with  this  in  time,  and  will  after- 
ward wake  up  in  hell,  where  there  will  be 
nothing  but  endless  lamentation  and  sorrow? 
The  doctrine  of  purgatory  dishonors  the  merit 
and  power  of  the  atoning  sacrifice  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Jesus  has  purchased  a  full  redemp- 
tion— in  his  name  is  forgiveness  of  sins :  "  For 
by  one  offering  he  hath  perfected  for  ever  them 
that  are  sanctified,"  Heb.  x,  14.  God  has 
opened  up  a  way  of  salvation  to  man  through 
Jesus  Christ.  He  offers  to  all  salvation  through 
free  grace.  But  he  who  would  be  saved,  must 
become  obedient  to  the  Gospel,  truly  and  evan- 
gelically repent,  and  then  put  his  whole  trust 
in  the  merits  of  Christ.  Then  will  the  prom- 
ise be  fulfilled  in  him,  "  Their  sins  and  their 
iniquities  will  I  remember  no  more."  But 
when  there  is  forgiveness,  there  is  no  more 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  161 

offering  for  sin.  Also,  with  the  pardon  of  sin, 
the  person  receives  a  new  heart.  So  says  the 
prophet  Ezekiel,  xxxvi,  26,  27  :  "A  new  heart 
also  will  I  give  you,  and  a  new  spirit  will  I  put 
within  you ;  and  I  will  take  away  the  stony 
heart  out  of  your  flesh,  and  will  give  you  a 
heart  of  flesh ;  and  I  will  put  my  Spirit  within 
you,  and  cause  you  to  walk  in  my  statutes,  and 
ye  shall  keep  my  judgments  and  do  them." 
This  is  the  work  of  regeneration,  in  reference 
to  which  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  bear 
an  agi'eeing  testimony;  and  in  reference  to 
which  our  Lord  positively  assures  us,  that  "  ex- 
cept a  man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the 
kingdom  of  God."  "But  there  is,  therefore, 
now  no  condemnation  to  them  which  are  in 
Christ  Jesus,  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but 
after  the  Spirit."  But  is  the  question  asked, 
will  the  children  of  God  who  are  born  again 
remain  without  sin?  Then  we  will  let  the 
apostle  John  answer  in  his  1st  Epistle  ii,  1 : 
"My  litde  children,  these  things  write  I  unto 
you,  that  ye  sin  not ;  and  if  any  man  sin,  we 
have  an  advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ 
the  righteous."  So  long,  therefore,  as  this  Ad- 
vocate is  viewed  as  sufficient  by  the  Father,  we 
need  no  purgatory.  "  If  we  confess  our  sins, 
he  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins, 
and  to  cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness." 
"  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  his  Son,  cleanseth 
us  from  all  sin."  So  long  as  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  retains  its  virtue,  we  need  no  purgatory. 
Do  we  not  clearly  discover  from  this,  that  it  is 
14* 


162  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS    OF 

an  anti-christian  doctrine?  To  suppose  the 
case  of  a  moralist  who  has  committed  no  out- 
breaking crimes,  but  only  "  venial "  sins ;  who, 
according  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Romish  Church, 
will  not  go  to  hell,  but  only  to  purgatory,  where 
he  must  do  penance  for  his  sins.  Such  a  saint 
could  ascribe  but  a  small  part  of  his  salvation 
to  the  merits  of  Christ;  namely,  this,  that  by 
his  baptism  he  was  washed  from  original  sin — 
the  rest  of  his  salvation  he  has  wrought  out 
himself,  in  that,  through  his  morality,  he  has 
escaped  hell,  and  for  his  "venial"  sins  he 
has  paid  by  his  penance  in  purgatory.  With 
such  as  wish  to  be  saved  by  their  own  merits, 
God  is  not  well  pleased.  The  language  of  the 
redeemed  is,  "  While  we  were  dead  in  trespas- 
ses and  sins,  Christ  has  made  us  alive."  "  By 
grace  are  ye  saved  through  faith,  and  that  not 
of  yourselves,  it  is  the  gift  of  God ;  not  of 
works,  lest  any  man  should  boast." 

I  fear  that  if  all  the  Roman  Catholics  would 
get  to  heaven,  there  would  then  be  nothing  but 
boasting,  while  they  are  seeking  their  salvation 
through  their  own  righteousness.  Yet  God, 
who  is  merciful,  has  power  sufficient  to  bring 
many  of  those  who  are  yet  in  error,  to  a  saving 
knowledge  of  the  truth. 

I  also  wish  to  make  some  remarks  about 
mass.  In  mass,  I  was  instructed  that  Jesus 
was  offered  without  blood.  Mass  is  called  a 
reconciliation,  thank  and  intercession  offering; 
but  we  can  find  nothing  of  it  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament.    Where  do  we  find  that  the  apostles 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  163 

went  about  reading  mass  ?  They  preached  the 
Gospel,  baptized,  and  showed  forth  the  Lord's 
death,  in  that  they  took  bread  and  wine  in 
remembrance  of  him.  Do  the  Roman  Catho- 
lics likewise?  No.  Since  1216,  the  priests 
have  acted  directly  contrary  to  the  words  of  the 
Savior,  by  denying  the  wine  to  the  people. 
For  a  number  of  centuries,  mass  offerings  were 
not  known.  After  this,  however,  he  of  whom 
the  prophet  Daniel  spake,  arose,  see  xi,  37,  38. 
So  also,  the  apostle  Paul  prophesied,  1  Tim.  iv, 
1-3.  "Now  the  Spirit  speaketh  expressly, 
that  in  the  latter  times,  some  shall  depart  from 
the  faith,  giving  heed  to  seducing  spirits,  and 
doctrines  of  devils  ;  speaking  lies  in  hypocrisy ; 
having  their  conscience  seared  with  a  hot  iron." 
As  a  Roman  Catholic  read  the  above  verses  to 
me,  and  said,  "  This  means  you,  because  you 
have  fallen  from  the  faith,"  I  requested  him  to 
read  the  following  verse,  and  asked  him  if  the 
Romish  priests  were  not  meant  by  it  ?  to  which 
he  could  give  no  answer :  "  Forbidding  to  mar- 
ry, and  commanding  to  abstain  from  meats, 
which  God  hath  created  to  be  received  with 
thanksgiving  of  them  which  believe  and  know 
the  truth."  Again,  whoever  is  acquainted  with 
Church  history,  knows  how  far  the  Romish 
Church  has  departed  from  the  teaching  of  Pe- 
ter, 1  Peter  v,  2,  3:  "Feed  the  flock  of  God 
which  is  among  you,  taking  the  oversight  there- 
of, not  by  constraint,  but  willingly ;  not  for 
filthy  lucre,  but  of  a  ready  mind ;  neither  as 
being  lords  over  God's  heritage,  but  being  en- 


164  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

samples  to  the  flock."  It  appears  that  the 
apostle  had  a  revelation  of  the  fall  of  the 
Church.  Who  does  not  know  to  what  extent 
the  Pope  has  usurped  authority,  not  only  over 
the  consciences  of  men,  but  also  over  worldly 
rulers  ?  As  says  the  apostle  Paul,  Acts  xx,  29 : 
*'For  I  know  this,  that  after  my  departing  shall 
grievous  wolves  enter  in  among  you,  not  spar- 
ing the  flock."  How  mournfully  has  the  Pa- 
pal Church  fulfilled  this  in  herself,  by  shedding 
the  blood  of  thousands  of  the  saints,  who  stead- 
fastly refused  to  worship  the  beast,  and  to  re- 
ceive his  mark?  "Beware,"  says  the  Savior 
himself,  "  of  the  false  prophets  which  come  to 
you  in  sheep's  clothing ;  but  inwardly  they  are 
ravening  wolves.  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know 
them."  By  their  ffuits  false  teachers  always 
could,  and  still  can  be  known,  let  their  name 
be  what  it  may.  Here,  also,  a  word  concern- 
ing the  marriage  state,  which  the  priests  are 
forbidden  to  enter  into.  According  to  the 
teaching  of  the  apostle  Peter,  1  Tim.  iii,  each 
bishop,  or  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  can  do  ac- 
cording to  his  own  judgment;  he  can  follow 
the  example  of  Peter,  and  marry,  or,  like  Paul, 
abstain  from  marriage — he  can  do  either  to  the 
glory  of  God ;  but  the  Romish  Church  requires 
of  all  who  wish  to  devote  themselves  to  the 
priest's  oflice,  the  presumptuous  vow  to  abstain 
from  marriage  all  the  days  of  their  lives.  From 
all  this,  and  much  more  that  could  be  named, 
it  is  manifest  that  the  Romish  Church  has  de- 
parted from  the  word  of  God.     This  departure 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  165 

is  clearly  described,  2  Thess.  ii,  3,  4:  "For 
that  day  shall  not  come,  except  there  come  a 
falling  away  first,  and  that  man  of  sin  be  re- 
vealed, the  son  of  perdition;  who  opposeth 
and  exalteth  himself  above  all  that  is  called 
God,  or  that  is  worshiped :  so  that  he,  as  God, 
sitteth  in  the  temple  of  God,  showing  himself, 
that  he  is  God."  The  Pope  assumes  the  place 
of  God,  by  pretending  to  forgive  sins,  or  to 
have  the  power  to  condemn  to  hell,  which  God 
alone  can  do. 

Again — the  Romish  Church  professes  to  be 
infallible,  while  none  but  God  can  claim  to  be 
infallible.  If  our  first  parents,  who  were  cre- 
ated in  the  image  of  God,  holy,  just  and  wise, 
could  be  deceived,  how  much  more  could  the 
Pope,  who  is  a  fallen  being,  be  led  into  sin  and 
fall  into  errors  ?  What  a  presumption  it  is  in 
the  heads  of  the  Church,  to  say  they  cannot 
err.  Nothing  upon  earth  is  without  deception 
but  the  word  of  God.  This  is  to  be  our  rule 
of  faith  and  practice.  So  says  Paul,  Gal.  i,  8  : 
*'But  though  we,  or  an  angel  from  heaven, 
preach  any  other  Gospel  unto  you  than  that 
which  we  have  preached  unto  you,  let  him  be 
accursed."  The  Lord  Jesus  himself,  says, 
Rev.  xxii,  18,  19:  "For  I  testify  unto  every 
man  that  heareth  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of 
this  book,  if  any  man  shall  add  unto  these 
things,  God  shall  add  unto  him  the  plagues  that 
are  written  in  this  book :  and  if  any  man  shall 
take  away  from  the  words  of  the  book  of  this 
prophecy,  God  shall  take  away  his  part  out  of 


166  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

the  book  of  life,  and  out  of  the  holy  city,  and 
from  the  things  which  are  written  in  this 
book." 

In  conclusion,  a  word  to  my  Roman  Catholic 
brethren  after  the  flesh.  My  ardent  desire  is, 
that  they  (priest  and  people)  may  be  brought 
to  a  true  knowledge  of  Christ.  This  would 
also  soon  come  to  pass,  if  they  would  allow 
themselves  to  be  moved  to  read  the  Bible  with 
attention  and  prayer.  Quite  lately  a  young 
man  was  converted  by  the  power  of  God,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
and  who  had  intended  to  devote  himself  to  the 
priest's  office.  May  God  give  him  grace,  that 
he  may  win  many  of  his  brethren  to  Christ. 
May  God  also  grant  his  blessing  upon  this 
communication. 

Rev.  L.  S.  Jacoby^s  JExperience. — I  never 
belonged  to  those  who  doubt  the  existence  of 
God;  for  the  deep  impressions  made  by  the 
admonitions  of  my  pious  mother,  were  never 
entirely  erased  from  my  mind.  I  had  the  name 
of  an  evangelical  Lutheran  from  Germany,  (for 
so  testified  my  certificate  of  baptism,  at  least ;) 
but  I  had  no  idea  of  true  Christianity,  although 
a  New  Testament,  which  had  been  presented 
to  me,  was  my  continual  companion.  Some 
time  before  my  conversion,  particularly  in  Cin- 
cinnati, (where  I  arrived  in  the  beginning  of 
November,  1839,  a  year  after  my  arrival  in 
America,)  I  frequently  read  in  it ;  but  I  often 
cast  it  from  me,  exclaiming,  this  cannot  possi- 
bly be  true.     Every   Sabbath  day,  I  visited 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  167 

some  church;  I  attended  worship  sometimes 
in  German,  and  sometimes  in  English,  for  I 
understood  the  latter  tolerably  well ;  but  must 
confess  that  I  usually  went  from  church  as  I 
had  gone  then. 

Of  a  Germai  Methodist  church,  I  had  never 
heard.  One  evening,  however,  a  young  man, 
to  whom  I  gaxQ  instruction  in  English,  asked 
me  if  I  would  not  go  with  him  to  the  German 
Methodist  chuich,  on  Sabbath  evening,  as  it 
was  a  real  theatre — a  place  of  much  amuse- 
ment. At  first,  [  had  no  especial  desire  to  go; 
but  the  following  Sabbath,  a  number  of  young 
persons  came  to  iiy  lodging,  and  urged  me  to 
go.  Brother  B.,at  tliat  time  a  local  preacher, 
made  his  first  atteiupt  to  preach,  on  that  even- 
ing. His  text  wfcs,  the  parable  of  the  prodi- 
gal son.  I  could  fiid  nothing  to  make  sport  of, 
excepting  his  singiilar  expressions  and  pronun- 
ciation— he  and  I  being  from  different  parts  of 
Germany,  he  had,  of  course,  peculiar  provin- 
cialisms. His  preaciiing  was,  to  me,  a  novelty, 
as  I  never  had  had  an  idea  that  a  plain,  unedu- 
cated man  would  af.empt  so  great  an  underta- 
king. I  would  have  been  glad  to  have  gone  to 
prayer  meeting  on  the  following  Thursday  even- 
ing :  I  had  an  especial  anxiety  to  go ;  but 
could  not  find  time,  as  I  was  then  giving  les- 
sons in  the  evening.  The  foUoAving  Sabbath 
evening,  I  was  one  of  the  first  in  the  church, 
and  took  my  seat  not  far  from  the  pulpit. 
Brother  Nast  preached  from,  "  I  am  not  asham- 
ed of  the  Gospel  of  Christ."     Satan  suggested 


168  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

to  me  that  I  should  look  right  earnestly  at  him, 
to  see  if  I  could  not  make  him  laugh.  I  did 
so ;  and  instead  of  making  him  laugh,  became 
myself  an  attentive  hearer.  Amongst  other 
remarks,  he  made  tlie  following:  "There  may 
be  a  Saul  among  us,  whom  God  will  convert 
into  a  Paul,"  which  struck  me,  and  went  to  my 
heart.  Hitherto,  I  had  been  immersed  in  the 
vices  of  the  world ;  but  now  I  was  brought  to 
reflection.  On  the  following  Tuesday  evening 
I  went  to  class  meeting.  The  union  and  love 
which  I  there  found  among  the  people,  and  the 
happiness  which  appeared  impressed  on  every 
countenance,  made  me  feel  solitary  and  forsa- 
ken ;  and  I  stood  absorbed  ;n  reflection,  until 
an  aged  sister  asked  me  whyl  appeared  so  sor- 
rowful. I  could  find  no  pexce  nor  comfort  at 
home,  and  felt  very  unhappy  wherever  I  was. 
On  the  following  Thursday  evening,  I  attended 
prayer  meeting ;  but  my  knees  refused  to  bend, 
until  one  of  the  brethren  prayed  that  God  would 
grant  that  sinners  might  tend  their  stubborn 
knees  before  it  should  be  too  late. 

On  Friday,  I  was  invited  to  the  house  of  our 
dear  brother  Nast :  I  soon  obtained  such  confi-  , 
dence  in  him  that  I  opened  to  him  the  whole 
state  of  my  mind.  He  directed  me  to  the  Lamb 
of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world ; 
and,  after  he  had  given  me  a  most  kind  exhor- 
tation, we  bowed  our  knees  together  before  a 
throne  of  grace,  and  he  ofl*ered  up  a  fervent 
prayer  to  God  for  me.  After  which  I,  for  the 
first  time,  raised  my  voice  in  earnest  prayer  ta 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  169 

God  for  the  pardon  of  my  sins.  I  then  left 
brother  Nast,  with  the  firm  resolution  that 
henceforth  I  would  forsake  the  world,  and 
wholly  devote  myself  to  God.  At  home,  I 
cast  myself  down  to  pray  in  the  name  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  but  as  I  had  pronounced 
this  name,  a  voice  within  spoke  to  me,  "  Thou 
hypocrite,  how  canst  thou  pray  in  the  name  of 
Him  on  whom  thou  dost  not  believe?"  but  1 
did  not  suffer  myself  to  be  disturbed.  It  soon, 
however,  appeared  to  me  as  if  the  room  was 
filled  with  people  charging  me  with  hypocrisy ; 
yet  I  continued,  and  from  that  moment  I  could 
pray  with  confidence  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  be- 
cause through  his  name  alone  we  can  be  saved. 
I  now  commenced  tearing  myself  loose  from 
my  former  associates ;  and,  at  the  first  oppor- 
tunity on  Monday  before  Christmas,  1839,  I 
joined  the  Church  during  love  feast.  As  those 
were  called  to  approach  the  altar  who  wished 
an  interest  in  the  prayers  of  the  pious,  I  did 
not  confer  with  flesh  and  blood,  and  for  eight 
evenings  went  thither.  Twelve  days  I  sought 
the  Lord  earnestly ;  I  attended  the  watch-night. 
The  new  year  was  commenced  with  prayer, 
and  the  children  of  God  sang  the  songs  of 
Zion,  and  were  filled  M^th  joy.  I  remained 
in  prayer  on  my  knees.  I  thought  that  my 
heart  would  break  under  the  burden  that  lay 
upon  me.  I  sighed  for  deliverance  ;  and,  bles- 
sed be  God,  not  in  vain.  The  Lord  visited 
me,  and  I  was  blessed  with  peace  and  joy  in 
the  Holy  Ghost.  I  rose  from  my  knees  re- 
15 


I 


170  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

joicing,  and  embraced  heartily  my,  till  then, 
almost  unknown  brethren,  and  joyfully  declared 
that  the  Lord  had  delivered  me.  Never  shall 
I  forget  that  hour,  neither  here  on  earth,  nor  in 
heaven.  The  Lord  Jesus  showed  his  mercy 
to  a  great  sinner,  and  his  grace  was  the  more 
magnified.  I  had  a  happy  IN^ew- Year's  day. 
In  the  afternoon,  however,  the  former  friend 
who  first  took  me  to  the  Methodist  church 
came  to  see  me :  he  mocked,  and  scoffed,  and 
called  me  strange  names.  I  sought  to  quiet 
him  by  giving  him  an  account  of  my  conver- 
sion ;  but  he  only  became  the  more  abusive, 
and  was  actually  about  attempting  to  beat  me. 
I  thereupon  saicl  to  him,  quite  composedly,  "  If 
you  had  treated  me  so  before  I  was  converted, 
I  would  have  put  you  out  of  doors ;  but  now  1 
will  rather  go  myself."  So  I  went  away,  sadly, 
and  I  understood  he  quit  my  house  in  a  rage. 
This  circumstance  made  me  dejected,  and  in 
the  evening  I  went  anew  to  the  mourners'  bench. 
Brother  Nast  asked  me,  if  I  had  not  professed 
to  have  found  the  Savior?  I  told  him  I  had, 
and  related  to  him  the  reason  of  my  mourning. 
He  exhorted  me  to  earnest  prayer ;  and  soon  I 
found  the  joy  which  I  had  experienced  return 
to  my  heart. 

Now  a  new  period  in  my  life  commenced. 
My  delight  in  the  things  of  this  world  had  come 
to  an  end;  and  it  was  my  greatest  joy  to  be 
united  with  the  children  of  God.  Our  dear 
father  Schmucker,  at  the  time  alluded  to,  had 
charge  of  the  society ;  and  to  him,  as  well  as 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  171 

to  brother  Nast,  under  God,  I  owe  many  thanks, 
for  the  encouragement  they  gave  me  to  go  on 
in  the  service  of  the  Lord.  They  took  me  by 
the  hand,  and  led  me  as  parents  lead  a  child 
when  it  first  attempts  to  walk.  I  ought  to  re- 
mark, that  brother  Nast,  in  my  first  visit  to  him, 
lent  me  Fletcher's  Appeal.  This  book  contri- 
buted much  to  convince  me  of  my  lost  estate ; 
and  after  my  conversion,  it  was  of  great  advan- 
tage to  me  in  my  growth  in  grace. 

From  the  first  moment  of  my  conversion,  I 
felt  a  great  desire  to  communicate  to  my  coun- 
trymen my  own  happiness,  and  the  power  of 
God,  as  exhibited  in  the  Gospel.  But  I  was 
yet  weak  myself  I  therefore  sought  to  strength- 
en myself  by  the  word  of  God,  and  the  read- 
ing of  other  religious  books,  but  more  espe- 
cially in  the  exercise  of  prayer.  I  can  honestly 
say,  that  the  first  three  months  after  my  con- 
version were  the  happiest  in  my  life.  I  did 
not  leave  my  room,  (which  was  in  the  upper 
story  of  the  Methodist  Book  Room,)  except  to 
attend  church.  The  Lord  blessed  me,  and  I 
grew  in  the  knowledge  of  things  divine.  One 
evening,  brother  Schmucker  took  me  into  the 
pulpit  to  exhort  after  him.  I  knew  but  little 
of  what  he  preached,  for  my  whole  frame  trem- 
bled, and  I  could  scarcely  collect  myself  for 
prayer;  yet  when  he  closed,  I  arose  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  and  words  were  given  to 
speak  to  the  congregation.  I  received  license 
to  exhort,  and  commenced  my  labors,  trusting 
in  the  Lord,    I  especially  visited  the  workmen 


172  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

on  the  canal ;  but,  alas !  saw  but  little  fruit. 
Yet  I  confided  in  my  Savior,  whose  Spirit  mov- 
ed me  to  proclaim  his  holy  Gospel.  And  I  am 
convinced  that  the  seed  which,  by  the  grace  of 
God,  I  scattered  in  weakness  at  my  appoint- 
ments, (of  which  I  filled  one  nearly  every  Sab- 
bath,) has  not  remained  entirely  without  fruit. 
In  March,  1841,  Bishop  Morris  sent  forme, 
and  asked  me  whether  I  was  willing  to  go  to 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  as  missionary.  I  confessed  to 
him  my  spiritual  weakness,  my  youth  and  inex- 
perience, and  especially  my  limited  knowledge 
of  the  holy  word.  He  answered  all  my  objec- 
tions, and  encouraged  me  to  commence  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  and  to  live  close  to  him,  and 
confide  in  his  promises.  I  arrived  at  St.  Louis 
in  August,  1841,  and  the  English  brethren  re- 
ceived myself  and  wife  in  the  most  friendly 
manner.  I  preached  the  first  Sabbath  after  my 
arrival,  in  a  small  church  rented  of  our  Pres- 
byterian brethren.  We  continued  to  worship 
there  until,  by  the  help  of  God,  we  dedicated 
our  own  church.  I  had  to  contend  with  many 
temptations.  I  not  only  often  bowed  before 
the  Lord  on  my  knees,  but  also  cast  myself  on 
my  face  in  the  very  dust,  and  wept  and  prayed 
to  my  Savior.  The  Lord  heard  my  anxious 
cries.  Soon  souls  were  converted  to  God,  and 
a  small  society  was  formed.  Since  our  last 
camp  meeting,  God  has  blessed  me  with  an 
especial  peace ;  and  my  firm  conviction  is,  that 
he  will  lead  me  the  few  remaining  days  of  my 
life  according  to  his  will,  and  give  me  grace 


THE    GERMAN  MISSIONS.  173 

and  strength  to  walk  in  his  holy  ways,  and  then 
at  death  I  shall  exchange  this  earthly  pilgrimage 
for  a  heavenly  rest.  May  God  grant  this,  for 
his  name  and  mercy's  sake  !     Amen. 

In  conclusion,  I  will  say,  that  the  Lord  has 
especially  blessed  us  this  year.  Our  society 
consists  of  one  hundred  and  fourteen  members.* 
Our  Sunday  school  is  in  a  good  condition,  and 
the  day  school  which  I  commenced  last  Octo- 
ber is  still  increasing.  Pray  for  your  unworthy 
brother  in  Christ. 

Rev.  H.  Koenecke's  Experience. — I  was 
born  in  Germany,  in  the  kingdom  of  Hanover, 
May  28,  1800.  My  father  died  in  the  prime 
of  life,  leaving  my  mother  with  five  children, 
of  which  I  was  the  oldest,  being  nine  years  of 
age,  and  my  brother  Charles,  now  German 
missionary  in  Illinois,  was  the  youngest,  being 
eleven  months  old.  My  mother  was  a  widow 
twenty  years,  and  endeavored  to  train  us  up  in 
the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord.  The 
impressions  that  were  made  on  my  youthful 
mind,  often  followed  me  in  my  course  of  sin. 
In  the  year  1824,  I  was  married ;  but  at  this 
time  I  was  in  a  sad  condition.  I  had  given 
myself  to  drinking  and  gambling ;  yet  for  the 
sake  of  making  a  living,  I  fully  resolved,  that 
as  I  had  taken  a  wife,  I  would  break  off  from 
all  these  vices.  But,  alas  !  I  had  soon  to  learn 
that  I  was  no  longer  master  of  myself,  and  that 

*  This  society  would  be  much  larger  if  it  were  not  for  the  nu- 
merous removals  of  members,  which  is  more  or  less  the  case  in 
all  our  larce  cities  :  but  those  who  remove  will  exert  a  pious  in- 
fluence in  other  places.  t  f-.^^ 


174  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS    OF 

these  contracted  habits  held  a  control  over  me. 
What  I  now  learned  by  experience,  I  could  not 
previously  have  believed ;  for  it  was  a  favorite 
maxim  with  me,  that  man  was  able  to  govern 
himself.  With  my  strongest  resolutions,  how- 
ever, I  was  not  able  to  resist  sin.  I  often  saw 
clearly  that  unless  a  change  took  place,  I  should 
not  only  plunge  myself  into  an  untimely  grave, 
but  leave  my  wife  and  children  in  a  most  sor- 
rowful condition.  I  did  not  like  to  think  of 
death  and  eternity,  for  these  thoughts  usually 
disturbed  my  mind.  In  this  vacillating  condi- 
tion, sometimes  having  pious  resolutions,  and 
then,  again,  thoughtlessly  transgressing,  I  spent 
ten  years  of  my  married  life.  During  this 
time,  my  wife  shed  many  a  tear;  but  her  prin- 
cipal comfort,  probably,  consisted  in  the  reflec- 
tion, that  most  of  the  women  in  the  place  where 
we  lived,  were  not  any  better  oft'  than  she  was. 
The  village  in  which  we  lived,  contained  about 
twenty  houses,  and  in  it  were  twelve  taverns  ! 
all  of  which  had  a  good  run  of  custom.  There 
was  also  a  Lutheran  church,  in  which  there 
was  worship  every  Sabbath  morning,  from  10 
to  12  o'clock.  Many  of  the  members,  how- 
ever, would  visit  the  taverns  before  going  to 
church,  and  a  majority  of  the  remainder  would 
take  their  dram  at  home ;  so  that  I  can  most 
confidently  aver  that  there  was  scarcely  ever 
ten  men  in  church  who  had  not  been  drinking 
whisky.  As  soon  as  worship  was  over,  all 
kinds  of  amusements  were  commenced  in  the 
tavern.     The    dancing-floor   was    cleared   off', 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  175 

music  struck  up,  and  an  invitation  given  to 
dance.  The  nine-pin  alley  and  card-table  were 
put  in  a  state  of  readiness.  Thus  was  Sabbath- 
breaking  set  in  motion,  which  often  continued 
till  late  in  the  night.  Sometimes,  however, 
their  hilarity  was  interrupted  by  quarrelings, 
contentions,  and  blows.  Many  would  go  home 
with  wounded  and  bruised  heads ;  and  others, 
robbed  of  their  senses,  would  stagger  to  their 
dwellings. 

From  such  a  miserable  life,  God  delivered 
me  in  1834.  In  the  night,  between  the  26th 
and  27th  of  December,  I  had  been  playing 
cards  from  2  o'clock,  P.  M.,  until  12  o'clock 
at  night,  and  lost  considerable  money.  On  my 
way  home,  the  thought  came  into  my  mind. 
How  wrong  have  I  done  ?  All  my  money  is 
spent,  and  in  the  morning  I  shall  much  need  it. 
I  have  an  industrious  wife  and  five  children  at 
home,  and  yet  I  spend  every  thing  in  a  wrong 
way.  With  this  thought,  it  appeared  as  if 
God,  from  heaven,  spoke  to  my  heart,  saying, 
"  Also,  against  me  hast  thou  sinned."  While 
these  thoughts  were  passing  in  my  mind,  I 
could  not  move  a  step.  Many  of  my  past  sins 
were  brought  to  remembrance,  and  my  heart 
was  so  affected,  that  in  the  midnight  hour,  un- 
der the  open  canopy,  I  M^as  constrained  to  cry 
aloud,  while  tears  flowed  from  my  eyes  in 
greater  quantities  than  they  had  ever  done  be- 
fore. How  long  this  continued,  I  cannot  tell. 
I  finally  went  home  with  a  heavy  heart,  and 
with  a  firm  resolution  to  forsake  my  ungodly 


176  ORIGIN    AND   PROGRESS   OF 

companions,  and  to  regulate  my  life  according 
to  the  word  of  God.  I  had,  also,  received  so 
much  light,  as  led  me  not  to  depend  upon  my 
own  strength,  but  to  pray  to  God,  that  he  might 
aid  me  to  put  my  good  resolutions  into  practice. 
I  now  believed,  in  the  honesty  of  my  heart, 
that  I  ought  not  to  express  my  feelings  to  any 
one  in  our  village,  notwithstanding  I  would 
gladly  have  done  it,  had  I  believed  that  I  could 
find  one  among  them  that  was  like  minded  with 
myself.  This  brought  me  to  think,  that  per- 
haps the  people  in  T and  B ,  of  whose 

religion  and  piety  so  much  was  said,  might  be 
of  the  same  mind  as  myself,  and  consequently, 
a  desire  was  waked  up  within  me  to  have  some 
conversation  with  them.  I  had  often  heard 
that  they  severely  condemned  dancing,  playing, 
drunkenness,  and  such  like  things.  This  indu- 
ced me  to  believe  that  I  should  agree  with 
them.  They  lived  twenty  miles  from  my 
place  of  residence,  and  had  been  converted 
through  the  instrumentality  of  Moravian  mis- 
sionaries. These  missionaries,  however,  I  at 
that  time  did  not  know,  for  they  were  called  by 
different  names,  as  mystics,  pietists,  &c.  I 
now,  for  the  first  time,  made  known  to  my 

wife  that  I  wished  to  visit  the  people  in  T . 

She,  however,  was  not  satisfied  with  my  pur- 
pose ;  and  besides  this,  she  had  noticed,  that  in 
the  few  weeks  past,  I  had  been  industriously 
reading  the  Bible,  and  she  was  afraid  that  I 
should  bring  as  great  a  reproach  upon  her  and 
myself  as  lay  upon  these  people  themselves. 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  177 

This  threw  me  into  a  state  of  painful  anxiety ; 
and  I  secretly  prayed  to  God,  that  he  would 
teach  me  the  right  way ;  and  he  so  ordered  it, 
that  in  about  two  or  three  weeks  afterward,  a 
man  met  me  on  the  street,  from  whose  dress* 
I  judged  came  from  that  place.  I  spoke  to 
him,  and  asked  him  whether  he  came  from 

T or  B ?     "  From  B ,"  was  the 

answer.  I  then  said,  "Please  tell  me  what 
kind  of  people  those  are  in  your  neighborhood, 
who  have  all  manner  of  nick-names,  and  hold 
meetings  out  of  the  church?"  "I  am  one  of 
them,"  was  the  reply,  while  he  looked  very 
friendly  at  me.  I  was  now,  with  an  anxious 
heart,  already  much  taken  with  him.  He  com- 
menced with  an  account  of  conversion,  and  the 
new  birth,  and  of  the  lost  condition  of  the  na- 
tural man,  &;c.  I  then  related  to  him  how  it 
had  lately  been  with  me ;  upon  which  he  said 
that  God  had  awakened  me,  and  that  I  should 
seek,  through  Jesus,  for  the  pardon  of  my  sins. 
He  explained  to  me,  as  well  as  he  could,  the 
way  of  salvation,  and  exhorted  me  not  to  be 
ashamed  of  being  a  follower  of  Christ,  but 
willingly  to  take  up  and  bear  the  cross,  and 
hunt  up  others,  and  meet  together  to  read  the 
Bible  and  pray  together.  He  then  left  me,  and 
I  followed  his  advice.  Often  I  engaged  in 
prayer,  with  deep  penitential  feelings,  but 
always  in  secret  places.  I  wished  to  pray  pub- 
licly in  my  family,  yet  a  false  shame  kept  me 
back. 

♦  In  Germany,  eash  district  has  some  peculiarity  in  dress. 


178  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

At  this  period  of  my  repentance,  my  wife 
noticed  that  I  was  really  in  earnest,  and  the 
people  soon  began  to  scoff  at  me.  My  wife 
then  laid  every  thing  in  my  way ;  and  when 
she  found  she  could  not  accomplish  her  object, 
she  commenced  weeping  and  lamenting  that  I 
had  exposed  her  to  so  much  reproach.  She 
had  eleven  brothers,  and  a  large  number  of  con- 
nections. For  two  evenings  in  succession,  she 
was  very  much  enraged.  The  third  evening  I 
had  some  fearful  forebodings ;  but  I  continued 
in  prayer  to  God.  On  this  evening  I  was  in- 
deed put  upon  the  severest  trial  that  I  had  ever 
experienced  in  all  my  life.  She  urged  me  most 
earnestly  to  give  up  my  religious  course  entire- 
ly, and  told  me  that  if  I  continued  to  live  in 
this  way  she  would  leave  me.  After  various 
threatenings,  which  I  cannot  describe,  I  finally 
asked  myself,  what  shall  I  do  ?  the  peace  of 
my  family  will  be  certainly  destroyed.  I  sprang 
up,  not  being  able  any  longer  to-  endure  it.  I 
got  my  Bible  in  order  to  read  in  it ;  and  as  I 
opened  it,  I  read  in  the  superscription  to  the 
116th  Psalm,  "Comfort  for  the  afflicted." 
Then,  thought  I,  with  a  sorrowful  heart  and 
tears  in  mine  eyes,  this  may  be  something  for 
me.  As  I  read  the  first  verses,  I  felt  as  if  the 
psalm  had  been  written  expressly  for  me. 
When  I  had  read  it  through,  I  had  such  com- 
fort and  such  a  strengthening  of  my  faith,  that 
1  resolved,  with  renewed  courage,  to  take  up 
my  cross,  and  concluded  that  the  hand  of  the 
Almighty  could  change  my  situation.     I  there- 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  179 

fore  once  more  prayed  to  God  with  a  stammer- 
ing voice.  I  read  the  psalm  through  again, 
and  then  retired  to  rest  quiedy,  my  wife  hav- 
ing by  this  time  gone  to  sleep.  But  I  could 
not  sleep  the  whole  night  through,  being  filled 
with  hope  and  confidence  in  the  almighty  power 
of  God.  The  next  morning  she  would  not 
speak  to  me.  I,  however,  addressed  her  as 
follows  :  "  Beloved  wife,  I  have  something  to 
say  to  you.  If  I  had  seven  wives  opposing 
me;  and  if  each  of  them  were  seven  times 
worse  than  you  are,  it  would  be  out  of  their 
power  to  turn  me  from  my  purpose;  for  in 
my  temptation,  God  has  strengthened  me. 
Come  and  see  this  psalm."  She  would  not, 
however,  read  herself;  so  I  commenced,  and 
she  listened  with  patience.  And  from  that  hour 
I  had,  by  the  grace  of  God,  the  victory.  My 
wife  was  changed,  and  never  persecuted  me 
again.  Here  I  must  confess  that  I  was  not  yet 
converted ;  but  this  was  only  a  degree  of  pre- 
venting grace,  which  God  granted  me  in  my 
awakening ;  for  I  well  knew  that  I  should  have 
to  experience  a  greater  change.  I  had  no  assur- 
ance of  God's  favor,  nor  the  pardon  of  my  sins. 
Many  a  day  I  went  from  four  to  eight  times  in 
secret,  fell  upon  my  knees,  and  prayed  to  God, 
and  often  received  some  comfort;  but  still  I 
lacked  a  living  faith.  Sometimes,  however,  I 
had  the  assurance  that  in  case  I  should  die  in 
this  penitent  state,  God,  for  Christ's  sake,  would 
have  mercy  on  me,  and  take  me  to  heaven. 
I  now  began  to  look  around  to  see  if  I  could 


180  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

not  find  some  one  to  unite  with  me  in  seeking 
salvation.  One  Sabbath  afternoon,  I  went  into 
a  house  in  which  I  knew  there  was  a  woman 
who  was  in  the  habit  of  reading  her  Bible.  I 
met  some  others  there.  We  continued  meeting 
from  time  to  time  to  read  the  Scriptures,  and 
Arndt's  Book  of  True  Christianity,  and  also  to 
pray  with  each  other.  In  a  few  weeks  our 
number  increased,  so  that  we  had  from  ten  to 
twelve  at  our  meetings,  among  whom  also  was 
my  wife. 

This  was  in  May,  1834.     It  was  not  long  un- 
til we  were  visited  by  the  brethren  from  T 

and  B .    We  commenced  our  meetings  with 

singing  and  prayer.  And  how  astonished  we 
were  to  hear  one  of  them  offer  up  a  powerful 
prayer  from  the  heart !  Such  a  prayer  I  had 
never  heard  in  all  my  life.  I  viewed  this  as 
the  effect  of  divine  grace,  and  resolved  afresh 
fully  to  make  a  surrender  of  myself  to  God ; 
and  I  found,  after  persevering  in  prayer,  the 
pardon  of  my  sins  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 
A  living  faith  was  begotten  in  my  heart,  and  t 
felt  that  I  could  praise  the  God  of  my  salva- 
tion. I  now  undertook  to  be  the  leader  of  this 
society.  The  number  so  increased,  that  in  two 
years  we  had  thirty  persons.  We  were  not 
only  exposed  to  persecution  from  the  world, 
but  were  so  circumscribed  in  our  privileges  that 
we  could  not  serve  God  according  to  the  dic- 
tates of  our  conscience.  This  awakened  in  me 
a  strong  desire  to  go  to  America,  as  I  had  often 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  181 

heard  much  of  the  religious  liberty  enjoyed  in 
this  countiy. 

I,  with  my  wife,  and  another  family,  agreed 
to  start  for  America ;  and  we  landed  safely  in 
Baltimore  on  the  11th  January,  1836.  We  did 
not  remain  there  long,  but  moved  to  Wheeling, 
Va.  I  was  in  high  expectation  of  soon  meet- 
ing some  German  American  brethren;  but, 
alas !  I  found  myself  disappointed.  I  then 
visited  the  Lutheran  Church,  which  had  hith- 
erto been  my  Church ;  but  as  I  did  not  find 
much  of  the  spirit  of  religion  there,  I  began 
with  the  family  above  alluded  to,  and  another 
family,  to  hold  meetings  again.  Our  number 
increased  to  twenty-five  or  thirty.  Soon  after- 
ward, however,  most  of  them  removed  to  Ma- 
rietta. Sometime  after  this,  I  heard  that  the 
Methodists  were  going  to  send  out  missionaries 
among  the  Germans,  and  that  they  were  about 
publishing  a  German  religious  paper.  This 
was  in  1838.  I  had  for  sometime  attended  the 
English  Methodist  church  in  AVheeling,  and 
after  due  reflection  and  examination,  1  was  in- 
duced to  write  a  letter  to  Rev.  Wm.  Nast,  who 
was  to  be  the  editor  of  the  paper,  with  a  request 
that  he  would  use  his  influence  to  have  a  mis- 
sionary sent  to  Wheeling. 

On  the  24th  of  December,  of  the  same  year, 
])rother  John  Swahlen  came  as  an  agent  to 
W^heeling,  to  obtain  subscribers  for  the  Apolo- 
gist. We  held  a  meeting  the  same  evening, 
rejoiced  together,  and  the  next  day  we  united 
with  the  Church  on  probation.  Brother  Swah- 
16 


182  ORIGIN    \ND    PROGRESS    OF 

len  was  afterward  sent  to  us  as  a  missionary, 
and  I  was  appointed  class-leader  and  exhorter. 
God  was  with  us  during'  the  first  year,  and  our 
society  increased  to  eighty-three  members. 

I  was  subsequently  licensed  to  preach,  and 
am  now  a  missionary  to  the  Germans.  I  am 
at  present  (March  23d,  1843)  engaged  in  the 
Chester  mission,  Meigs  county,  Ohio  confer- 
ence. To  the  glory  of  God  I  can  say,  that 
this  mission  is  in  a  prosperous  condition. 

Formerly  these  people  were  in  the  greatest 
ignorance  of  God.  Violating  the  Sabbath, 
cursino^,  swearino-  and  drunkenness,  were  their 
chief  employment.  Many  families,  notwith- 
standing they  bore  the  name  of  Protestants, 
had  not  the  Bible  in  their  houses :  the  children 
had  no  school ;  and  the  outward  ordinances  of 
religion,  such  as  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
supper,  &c.,  had  not  been  attended  to  for  six 
years.  But  now,  many  a  house  where  cursing 
and  swearing  were  once  heard,  has  become  a 
house  of  prayer.  We  have  three  Sabbath 
schools,  which  promise  much  good.  Obedient 
hearts  have  been  implanted  in  many  rebellious 
children.  Some  of  them  have  already  been 
converted,  and  have  made  a  full  surrender  of 
their  hearts  to  God,  of  which  their  exemplary 
lives  furnish  the  most  abundant  testimony. 

In  this  mission,  we  have  now  fifteen  mem- 
bers who  were  formerly  Roman  Catholics. 
They  rejoice  together  that  they  have  been  re- 
deemed from  the  darkness  and  superstitions  of 
Popery.     It  is  true,  they  are  frequently  severe- 


THE    GERMAN"    MISSIONS.  183 

ly  attacked  by  the  Romish  priests  ;  but  hitherto 
the  priests  have  accomplished  nothing :  in  fact, 
their  efforts  have  only  made  the  converts  more 
firm  and  steadfast  in  the  truth  which  they  have 
espoused. 

The  following  well  authenticated  account  of 
an  attack  on  one  of  our  new  converts,  will  show 
the  spirit  of  Roman  priests.  Should  any  per- 
son doubt  its  truth,  the  location  and  names  can 
be  given. 

On  the  24th  of  November,  1842,  a  Papist 

priest  from  S ,  twenty  miles  from  A , 

came  here,  and  desired  to  see  those  members 
who  had  gone  fiom  the  Roman  Catholic  to  the 
Methodist  Church,  and  especially  one  brother 
by  the  name  of  M.  W.  At  the  request  of  the 
priest,  this  brother,  with  some  others,  went  to 
the  place  appointed  for  worship.  At  the  close 
of  his  ceremonial  services,  in  which  the  half 
of  the  sacrament  was  administered  to  a  few,*  he 
addressed  himself  to  brother  W.  as  follows: 
the  communications  being  made  through  an 
interpreter,  as  the  priest  was  English,  and 
brother  W.  could  not  understand  the  English 
language : 

^^  Priest. — Why  did  you  leave  the  Catholic 
Church? 

"  TV. — Because  I  was  no  longer  satisfied  in  it. 

^^  Pr. — You  have  mistaken  the  right  way 
and  fallen  from  the  true  faith. 

*  It  may  not  be  improper  here  to  remark  that  the  Roman  Cath- 
olics, in  administering  the  sacrament,  withhold  the  cup  from  the 
communicant,  and  oiily  distribute  the  bread ;  the  priest  drinks 
the  wine  himself. 


184  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

"  W. — You  cannot  make  me  believe  this, 
notwithstanding  you  are  a  learned  man.  You 
cannot  rob  me  of  that  which  I  have  experien- 
ced in  my  heart." 

Here  the  priest  invited  W.  to  sit  with  him 
on  the  bench :  he  had  a  Bible,  published  by  the 
American  Bible  Society,  in  his  hand:  as  he 
opened  to  several  passages,  he  told  him  to  read. 

**  W. — Is  this  Bible  correct  ? 

itPr, — Yes:  there  is,  however,  a  slight  dif- 
ference between  some  verses  in  it  and  the  Cath- 
olic Bible,  but  the  sense  is  the  same." 

W.  turning  himself  to  the  other  Catholics 
present,  said,  "  Either  you  or  your  priest  has 
told  an  untruth  :  for  last  Sabbath,  as  you  return- 
ed from  his  church,  at  A ,  you  told  me  that 

the  priest  had  declared  that  our  Bible  was  false, 
and  on  that  account,  especially,  all  Methodists 
would  be  lost." 

All  present  were  now  silent,  and  cast  an  eye 
at  the  double-tongued  priest. 

"Pr. — Read  this  passage,  in  John  xx,  23. 

"  W. — You  will  excuse  me  for  refusing  to 
engage  with  you  in  a  dispute  on  the  word  of 
God ;  for  you,  as  a  priest,  well  know  that  a 
common  Catholic  is  not  allowed  to  read  the 
Scriptures;  moreover,  it  is  but  a  short  time 
since  I  commenced  reading  the  Bible. 

"jPr. — That  is  a  lie:  every  Catholic  may 
read  the  Bible ;  "  and  turning  to  those  present, 
asked  if  this  was  not  true  ?  They,  however, 
bore  a  negative  testimony.     This  brought  him 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  185 

into  great  embarrassment.  He  then  read, 
*'  Whose  sins  ye  forgive,"  &c. 

"  W. — But  can  yon,  also,  forgive  sins  ? 

*'  Pr. — No,  I  cannot ;  this  Jesus  Christ  alone 
can  do;"  and  with  an  air  of  importance,  he 
inquired,  "  Will  you  not  become  a  Catholic 
again?" 

"  W. — No,  never;  and  I  have  thanked  my 
God  thousands  of  times  that  I  have  been  deliv- 
ered from  darkness,  and  have  come  to  the  clear 
light  of  the  Gospel. 

"  Pr. — In  the  Methodist  Church  any  country 
farmer  can  be  a  preacher. 

"  W. — But  they  preach  to  us  the  pure  word 
of  God,  and  have  been  the  means  of  bringing 
me  to  a  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ,  my  only 
mediator  and  high  priest ;  while  you  have  the 
Pope  for  your  head,  whom,  perhaps,  you  have 
never  seen.  I  can  now  do  without  the  Pope ; 
and  I  believe  that,  according  to  the  word  of 
God,  I  am  now  a  true  Catholic,  if  the  word 
catholic  means  true  faith." 

On  saying  this,  the  priest  turned  to  some  of 
the  converts,  and  asked  if  he  should  erase  their 
names  from  his  book  1  to  which  they  respond- 
ed with  a  hearty  "  Yes."  The  priest  then  told 
them  that  they  would  now  go  to  hell. 

On  the  previous  evening,  this  priest  was  in 
a  Catholic  house,  where  the  owner's  wife  had 
joined  us.  After  some  fruitless  attempts  to 
persuade  her  to  return  to  the  Catholic  Church, 
he  advised  the  husband  to  take  a  hickory  club, 
and  give  her  a  good  pounding ;  and  then  sell 
16* 


186'  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

his  land  and  move  from  the  neighborhood :  he 
would  tell  him  where  he  could  find  other  good 
land,  &c.  He  also  told  the  husband  to  burn 
his  wife's  hymn  book. 

This  man,  though  yet  unenlightened,  saw 
that  the  spirit  which  induced  the  priest  to  give 
such  advice,  could  not  be  the  Spirit  of  God, 
and,  consequently,  did  not  follow  it.  The 
effect  of  the  whole  was,  that  on  the  following 
Sabbath  evening,  I  had  the  privilege  of  preach- 
ing in  a  Catholic  house,  and  had  a  number  of 
Catholic  hearers.  The  priest  had  better  spare 
himself  the  pains  of  making  an6ther  effort  of 
this  kind ;  for  our  sheep  do  not  know  his  voice ; 
and  many  who  yet  remain  Catholics  are  no 
longer  completely  in  the  dark,  but  have  heard 
many  of  the  wholesome  truths  of  the  Gospel. 
May  God  cause  their  prejudices  entirely  to  van- 
ish, so  that  they  may  speedily  find  Jesus,  the 
only  mediator  between  God  and  man,  and  that 
they  may  believe  that  he  made  a  sufficient 
atonement  for  the  sins  of  the  world,  and  that 
consequently,  the  offerings  of  the  mass  and 
prayers  to  the  saints,  are  nothing  but  idolatry ! 
O,  may  they  all  come  to  Him  who  is  the  only 
refuge  from  the  dreadful  storm  which  will  final- 
ly fall  upon  the  ungodly  ! 

Sometime  after  this,  a  Romish  priest  came 
from  Cincinnati:  he  also  did  his  best  to  win 
back  converts ;  but  all  was  in  vain.  In  the 
spirit  of  a  true  Jesuit,  he  condemned  all  the 
Methodists ;  and  said  that  the  circulation  of  the 
Bible  was  the  work  of  the  devil.     The  effect 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  187 

of  his  visit  was  only  to  unite  those  he  sought 
to  lead  off,  more  closely  to  us. 

Shortly  after  this,  three  more  persons  joined 
us  ;  and  they  now  rejoice  in  their  freedom  from 
the  Romish  yoke. 

We  have  very  good  prospects  on  the  Chester 
mission.  It  is  hard  to  persuade  the  Germans 
that  they  must  be  converted.  They  have  many 
prejudices  against  us;  but  when  they  are  once 
convinced  of  the  truth,  and  make  a  commence- 
ment, we  may  confidently  calculate  on  their 
perseverance.  This  mission  now  consists  of 
ninety-two  members,  and  all  of  them  have  so 
far  remained  steadfast,  save  one  that  we  had 
to  expel. 

In  conclusion,  I  would  express  my  gratitude 
to  God  that  I  ever  became  acquainted  with  the 
Methodist  Church,  and  that  this  Church  has 
cared  for  the  Germans  of  this  country ;  for  they 
are  mostly  like  sheep  going  astray  without  a 
shepherd.  May  God  continue  to  prosper  our 
German  Zion !  I  feel  much  encouraged  to  go 
on  in  the  work  of  the  Lord.  My  ardent  prayer 
is,  that  his  blessing  may  crown  our  feeble 
efforts,  and  that  he  may  bring  many  thousands 
more  to  see  their  lost  condition,  and  to  seek  the 
salvation  of  their  souls. 

Experie?ice  of  Rev.  Jos.  E.  Freygang. — 
This  experience  is  extracted  from  his  "Life, 
Experience,  and  Views,"  published  in  the 
Christian  Apologist.  Brother  Freygang  was 
formerly  a  Roman  Catholic  priest: 

My  observations   in  the   Roman  Catholic 


188  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

Church,  even  from  my  youth,  and  the  thought 
that  I  might  perish  myself,  whilst  trying  to 
produce  a  reformation  within  the  Church,  indu- 
ced me,  through  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
earnestly  to  secure  the  salvation  of  my  own 
soul.  By  reading  and  meditating  upon  the  word 
of  God,  I  found  that  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
does  not  point  souls  to  that  way  which  the  holy 
Scriptures  designate  as  the  only  one  that  can 
bring  salvation.  Besides,  I  had  proofs  upon 
proofs  that  the  perverse  and  vicious  lives  of  the 
bishops,  priests,  and  nuns,  were  not  the  acci- 
dental and  occasional  aberrations  of  individuals, 
but  had  their  foundation  in  the  false  and  cor- 
rupt principles  of  the  Church.  I  became  more 
and  more  convinced  that  it  would  be  impossible 
to  remain  pure  among  the  impure ;  and  I  felt 
it  necessary  that  a  total  change  of  myself  and 
my  relation  to  the  world  should  take  place,  if 
I  would  avoid  falling,  with  the  blind  leaders  of 
the  blind,  into  the  bottomless  pit  of  destruction, 
from  which  there  is  no  redemption.  I  exclaim- 
ed, "Lord,  what  shall  I  do  that  I  may  be 
saved?"  Human  doctrines,  traditions  and  in- 
ventions, had  darkened  to  me  the  pure  light  of ' 
truth,  so  that  I  had  lost  the  way  to  the  cross, 
and  my  life  had  become  one  continued  gloom. 
About  that  time,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Thomson  and 
Rev.  Thomas  Dunn,  ministers  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  came  to  see  me.  I  was 
rejoiced  at  the  visit  of  these  learned  and  pious 
men,  and  conversed  with  them,  not  only  re- 
specting my  situation  and  circumstances,  but 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  189 

also  on  the  subject  of  experimental  religion. 
Their  piety  and  exemplary  lives  had  inspired 
me  with  great  confidence,  and  they  poured  balm 
in  the  wounds  of  my  souL  My  attention  was 
now  directed  to  Methodism,  of  which  I  had 
previously  known  litde  or  nothing.  I  attended 
their  meetings,  and  found  the  sermons,  to  which 
I  listened  very  attentively,  fully  agreeing  with 
the  word  of  God.  Many  a  sleepless  night  I 
spent  during  that  period,  meditating  upon  the 
pure  and  unadulterated  word  of  God;  and  I 
came  to  the  full  resolution,  not  to  rest  until  I 
found  the  Lord  in  the  remission  of  my  sins. 
The  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  famdy 
with  whom  I  boarded,  became  angry  at  my 
going  so  often  to  the  Methodist  church.  Often 
when  I  returned  home,  I  found  my  papers  and 
books  searched  through.  Soon  after  this,  I  re- 
signed my  charge  as  priest  of  St.  Peter's  church. 
At  this  the  Catholics  became  enraged;  and  the 
trustees,  in  order  to  revenge  themselves,  pub- 
lished the  next  week  in  the  newspaper,  that  I 
was  dismissed  by  them.  I  could  not  labor 
without  distraction  of  mind  for  the  salvation  of 
my  soul.  I  joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  had  no  more  to  do  with  the  Cath- 
olics. The  persecution  then  became  great. 
The  German  Catholics  met  daily  to  consult 
how  they  could  save  the  honor  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  etc.  They  resolved  to  calumniate  in 
every  possible  way.  I  was  also  personally,  in 
open  day -light,  insulted  as  I  passed  through  the 
streets.     All  my  former  friends   had  become 


190  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

my  fitter  enemies.  But  I  felt  that  the  more  I 
was  hated  on  account  of  my  seeking  that  peace 
which  the  world  cannot  give,  the  more  I  was 
loved  by  my  heavenly  Friend.  I  felt  a  confi- 
dence in  remembering,  that  he  counts  the  hairs 
of  our  head,  and  careth  for  us ;  and  I  could 
cheerfully  sing: 

"  Though  troubles  assail,  and  dangers  affright ; 
Though  friends  should  all  fail,  and  foes  all  unite ; 
Yet  one  thing  secures  us,  whatever  betide, 
The  promise  assures  us,  the  Lord  will  provide." 

The  meetings  which  I  attended  contributed 
to  increase  my  faith  more  and  more.  One  Sab- 
bath, after  I  returned  from  Church,  I  shut  my- 
self up  in  my  closet,  and  fell  on  my  knees,  for 
the  purpose  of  supplicating  a  throne  of  grace, 
until  the  Savior  Avould  speak  peace  to  my  soul ; 
and  in  that  hour,  halleluiah!  praised  be  his 
name  !  pardoning  mercy  was  poured  upon  my 
burning  soul  like  a  refreshing  brook.  I  was 
now  sure  of  the  remission  of  my  sins,  and  felt 
my  Savior  in  my  heart. 

What  I  formerly  loved,  I  despise  now ;  and 
what  I  formerly  despised,  I  embrace  with  double, 
ardent  love.  I  feel  no  condemnation  for  past 
sins,  for  the  atoning  blood  of  the  Lamb  has 
washed  my  soul  from  the  stain  that  sin  made. 
Halleluiah  to  Him  that  has  mercy !  I  feel  no 
condemnation  in  my  breast ;  for  I  have  not  re- 
ceived the  spirit  of  bondage  unto  fear,  but  the 
Spirit  of  adoption,  by  which  I  cry  in  my  heart, 
Abba,  Father!  Halleluiah  to  Him  that  has 
mercy !     With  a  heart  overflowing  with  grati- 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  191 

tude  to  God,  I  can  take  up  the  expressive  lan- 
guage of  the  poet : 

"  Thee  will  I  love,  my  strength,  my  tower; 
Thee  will  I  love,  my  joy,  my  crown ; 
Thee  will  I  love  with  all  my  power, 
In  all  thy  works,  and  thee  alone  : 
Thee  will  I  love,  till  the  pure  fire 
Fill  my  whole  soul  with  chaste  desire. 

Ah  !  why  did  I  so  late  thee  know, 
Thee,  lovelier  than  the  sons  of  men ! 

Ah  !  why  did  I  no  sooner  go 
To  thee,  the  only  ease  in  pain  ! 

Ashamed  I  sigh,  and  only  mourn, 

That  I  so  late  to  thee  did  turn." 

Mrs.  Jacoby^s  Experience. — I  am  too  deep- 
ly indebted  to  grace,  and  to  the  long  suffering 
and  kindness  of  my  Savior,  in  bearing  with  me 
while  I  was  a  sinner,  to  refuse  to  confess  what 
he  has  done  for  me,  especially  if  such  a  confes- 
sion can  in  any  degree  promote  the  interests  of 
his  cause. 

I  must  first  remark  that  we  were  enlightened 
Catholics;  that  is,  we  did  not  attend  to  all  that 
unnecessary  round  of  service  which  many  of 
the  ignorant  engage  in. 

My  second  brother,  Joseph,  who  had  been 
sent  to  a  school  kept  by  a  pious  and  converted 
Lutheran,  became  converted  himself,  and  was 
afterward  sent  to  a  theological  school,  to  pre- 
pare himself  for  a  missionary. 

My  oldest  brotlier,  who  had  started  several 
years  before  me  to  America,  solicited  me 
strongly  to  visit  him ;  and  as  two  of  my  broth- 
ers had  gone,  I  concluded  to  follow  them. 


192  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS    OF 

On  the  10th  of  March,  1839,  we  left  our 
parents'  house,  and  on  the  27th  of  May  arrived 
safely  in  Cincinnati.  My  oldest  brother  came, 
rejoicing,  to  the  steamboat,  and  took  me  to  his 
house.  Scarcely  had  the  first  salutations  pass- 
ed, till  he  said  to  me,  "  But,  Amelia,  I  am  a 
Methodist!"  I  knew  not,  as  yet,  what  a 
Methodist  was,  but  the  thought  struck  me,  that 
the  term  indicated  something  similar  to  what 
my  second  brother  had  become.  I  felt  dissa- 
tisfied, and  blamed  him  that  he  did  not  suffer 
me  to  remain  at  home.  I  felt  very  much  griev- 
ed, especially  on  account  of  my  aged  parents, 
as  I  knew  they  would  be  much  afflicted  to  hear 
that  my  oldest  brother  had  also  fallen  from  the 
faith.  Of  course  my  resolution  was  to  remain 
steadfast,  and  not  to  sutler  myself  to  be  persua- 
ded to  follow  his  example. 

The  first  Sabbath  after  my  arrival,  my 
brother  took  me  in  the  morning  to  a  female 
neighbor,  to  accompany  me  to  the  Catholic 
church ;  and  in  the  evening,  I  went  with  him 
to  the  Methodist  church.  Brother  Schmucker 
preached  from  John  iii,  5  :  "  Except  a  man  be 
born  again,"  &c. ;  and  such  a  sermon  I  had , 
never  heard.  I  was  deeply  affected,  and  the 
fear  came  upon  me  that  I  might  die  that  night, 
and  yet  be  unprepared  for  death.  Although  the 
impression  made  by  this  sermon  was  so  deep 
on  my  mind,  I  was  soon,  by  worldly  persons, 
drawn  into  the  pleasures  of  the  world.  I  also 
heard  so  many  strange  stories  about  the  Meth- 
odists, and  their  art  in  deceiving  people,  that  I 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  193 

became  very  much  afraid  of  their  class  and 
pfayer  meetings.  A  short  time  after  this,  I 
attended  a  camp  meeting,  at  which  I  was 
brought  deeply  to  feel  the  corruptions  of  my 
unrenewed  heart.  On  Sabbath  day  such  a  de- 
gree of  fear  came  upon  me,  that  on  seeing  one 
of  my  worldly  friends,  I  requested  him,  if  he 
did  not  wish  me  to  be  one  among  the  most  un- 
fortunate of  creatures,  to  take  me  from  the 
place  as  soon  as  possible.  He  immediately 
procured  a  carriage,  and  took  me  away  ;  and  I 
really  felt  myself  quite  fortunate  when  I  saw 
Cincinnati  again.  From  that  time,  my  mind 
could  not  rest;  and  as  my  brother  daily  and 
earnestly  exhorted  me,  I  commenced  examining 
his  system  of  religion  for  myself.  And  I  hon- 
esdy  confess  that  the  efficient  preaching,  as  well 
as  the  true  and  genuine  spirit  of  charity,  which 
I  found  among  the  Methodists,  led  me  to  the 
conclusion  that  they  came  far  nearer  the  Chris- 
tian standard  than  the  professors  of  my  former 
acquaintance.  A  dreadful  fear,  however,  came 
upon  me  when  I  reflected  that  I  might  fall  from 
the  faith  in  which  I  had  been  raised.  The 
priest  said  to  me,  when  I  left  my  home,  that  if 
ever  I  became  restless  or  dissatisfied,  I  should 
select  a  priest  in  whom  I  could  put  confidence, 
and  should  open  my  mind  to  him,  and  he  would 
soon  convince  me  again,  how  good  it  was  to  be 
in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  how  nu- 
merous were  the  means  of  grace  she  offered  to 
poor  sinners.  I  resolved,  therefore,  one  Sab- 
bath morning  to  go  to  confession.  By  this 
17 


194  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS    OF 

means,  I  hoped  to  have  my  mind  qnieted  again. 
I  commenced  with  the  usual  form  of  confession 
I  had  been  accustomed  to  in  Germany,  and 
intended,  after  absolution,  to  speak  more  fully 
of  my  uneasiness  in  reference  to  matters  of 
faith ;  but  scarcely  had  my  confession  ended, 
before  the  priest  put  the  most  shameless  ques- 
tions to  me.  This  so  provoked  me,  that  I  ask- 
ed him  if  he  was  destitute  of  sense  and  discre- 
tion. He  began  to  excuse  himself  by  saying, 
it  was  his  duty  to  ask  such  questiotis !  I  re- 
plied, that  I  believed  the  asking  of  such  ques- 
tions was  not  his  duty.  He  then  inquired  if 
I  had  eaten  meat  on  Friday.  I  answered  in 
the  affirmative.  He  then  asked  if  I  did  not 
know  that  I  had  committed  a  sin  ?  I  replied, 
that  the  New  Testament  informs  us  we  are  to 
receive  the  gifts  of  God  with  thanksgiving. 
He  then  remarked  that  this  was  a  command  of 
the  Church.  I  said  the  Church  commands  and 
prohibits  many  things  that  do  not  agree  with 
the  word  of  God.  He  then  proceeded  to  ask 
me  where  I  came  from  ?  and  if  the  people  of 
the  place  were  all  Catholics  ?  I  replied  that 
about  half  of  the  inhabitants  were  Catholics,, 
and  the  other  half  Lutherans.  He  said  he  did 
not  believe  that  I  was  a  Catholic.  I  informed 
him  that  my  parents  were  Catholics,  and  that 
I  had  always  been  sent  to  a  Catholic  school, 
and  had  regularly  attended  the  Catholic  church ; 
but  I  did  not  believe  that  I  was  so  simple  a 
Catholic  as  some.  He  then  declared  that  he 
would  not  srive  me  absolution.     I  told  him  I 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  195 

wished  to  go  to  sacrament  that  day,  and  that  if 
he  would  not  give  me  absolution,  I  would  go  to 
some  other  German  church,  as  there  were  sev- 
eral in  the  city.  At  this,  he  stated  that  I  might 
go  to  the  sacrament,  if  I  would  promise  to 
attend  confession  for  three  Sundays  in  succes- 
sion. I  objected  to  make  such  a  promise,  and 
added,  I  only  went  to  confession  when  I  felt 
the  need  of  it,  and  had  no  intention  of  making 
a  business  of  it.  He  then  gave  me  absolution, 
and  I  went  into  the  church  filled  with  anger, 
and  received  the  sacrament.  I  wept  the  whole 
of  the  afternoon,  in  consequence  of  having,  in 
such  an  unchristian  state  of  mind,  approached 
the  table  of  the  Lord.  I  prayed  to  my  heav- 
enly Father  that  he  would  forgive  me  this  great 
sin.  I  found  some  peace  for  my  conscience, 
however,  in  the  reflection  that  the  priest  Avas 
more  to  blame  than  myself.  From  this  time 
forward,  I  did  not  enjoy  much  satisfaction  in 
going  to  the  Catholic  church ;  and,  to  confess 
the  truth,  I  went  more  out  of  respect  for  my 
parents,  than  on  any  other  account. 

As  my  brother  expected  to  be  married  soon, 
I  found  it  necessary  to  seek  a  home  for  myself. 
In  the  month  of  August,  I  went  to  live  with 
brother  Nast.  My  intention  was  to  make  my- 
self acquainted  with  the  English  language,  and 
then  return  to  my  parents  in  Germany.  I  was 
very  well  pleased  with  my  situation.  I  there 
enjoyed  that  quiet  which  it  is  always  desirable 
to  find  in  the  domestic  circle.  I  could  not, 
however,  bear  so  much  of  their  praying ;  and 


196  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

although  I  invariably  knelt  down  with  them, 
I  did  not  engage  in  the  exercises  at  all,  during 
the  first  part  of  my  stay,  but  sought,  as  much 
as  possible,  to  scatter  my  thoughts.  I  felt  a 
peculiar  attachment  to  their  child ;  and  it  was  a 
great  grief  to  me  when,  in  the  dispensation  of 
God's  providence,  it  was  taken  away.  I  was 
somewhat  astonished  that  brother  and  sister 
Nast  bore  their  loss  with  so  much  composure, 
and  regarded  it  as  indifference  in  them,  as  I 
was  not  aware  at  this  time,  that  a  Christian 
could,  under  such  circumstances,  resign  him- 
self to  the  will  of  C4od.  Although  I  was  con- 
sidered a  member  of  this  Protestant  family, 
yet  I  observed  all  the  holy  days  of  the  Catholic 
Church.  On  All  Saints'  Day,  (November  2,)  I 
went  to  the  church,  and  heard  language  from 
the  lips  of  the  priest  that  provoked  me  so  ex- 
ceedingly, that  I  did  not  attend  the  German 
Catholic  church  again  until  Easter;  going, 
however,  in  the  mean  time  to  the  English. 
The  priest  said,  "Who  among  you,  has  not  a 
father  or  a  mother,  brother  or  sister,  husband 
or  wife,  or  perhaps  some  other  relation  or  ac- 
quaintance in  purgatory?  and  should  you  not. 
be  willing  to  offer  gifts  for  the  ransom  of  their 
souls  ? " 

The  exhortations  of  my  brother,  and  of 
brother  and  sister  Nast,  I  had  hitherto  disre- 
garded, notwithstanding  their  constantly  re- 
minding me  of  my  unconverted  state.  In  con- 
sequence of  these  appeals,  I  spent,  during  this 
winter,  many  a  sorrowful  hour ;  and  often  pray- 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  197 

ed  in  secret  that  the  Lord  would  teach  me  the 
way  of  salvation.  At  the  watch-night  I  was 
so  deeply  awakened,  under  the  preaching  of 
brother  Kisling,  that  when  an  invitation  was 
given  to  the  penitents  to  go  to  the  altar  of 
prayer,  I  went  forward,  and  earnestly  implored 
God  to  pardon  my  sins.  The  following  night, 
an  English  sister,  who  had  come  on  a  visit  to 
brother  Nast's,  prayed  with  me  till  2  o'clock, 
A.  M.,  and  I  thought  that  I  enjoyed  more  rest  in 
my  mind  than  I  had  previously,  and  that  I  was 
nearer  to  God.  The  following  night,  however, 
I  dreamed  that  my  mother  met  me,  and  that  I 
ran  toward  her,  when  she  heartily  embraced 
me  in  her  arms,  and  said,  "  Have,  then,  all 
my  children  become  Methodists  ?"  "  0  !  no  !" 
I  answered,  "I  am  not  yet  a  Methodist,  but 
soon  would  have  been." 

From  this  time,  I  began  again,  through  world- 
ly amusements,  to  shake  off  my  impressions ; 
yet  invariably  on  my  return  home,  I  felt  that  I 
had  done  wrong.  One  of  my  friends  lived  ad- 
joining the  river.  I  went  to  his  house  one 
Sabbath  afternoon,  sometime  in  the  month  of 
June.  I  found  a  number  of  young  people  as- 
sembled there,  and  it  was  proposed  that  we 
should  go  over  the  river  into  Kentucky.  We 
accordingly  went ;  and  after  we  had  taken  some 
refreshments,  we  started  back.  One  of  the 
young  men  in  the  second  skiff  tried  to  make 
sport  by  running  theirs  against  ours.  We  came 
very  near  being  drowned.  As  soon  as  we  land- 
ed on  the  Ohio  side,  I  stated  to  a  friend,  that 
17* 


198  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS    OF 

this  should  be  the  last  time  that  I  would  ever 
take  a  pleasure  trip  across  the  Ohio  River  on 
the  Sabbath  day.  I  left  them  immediately, 
notwithstanding-  they  scofled  and  laughed  at 
me.  This  circumstance  awakened  me  again 
to  reflection:  it  brought  back  to  my  mind  the 
wonderful  deliverance  God  wrought  out  for  me 
on  my  journey  from  Baltimore  to  Little  York, 
when  the  cars,  going  over  a  cow,  left  the  tracks, 
and  would  have  thrown  us  over  an  abyss,  if  the 
chain  had  not  happily  broken. 

From  this  time  I  sought  the  Savior  earnestly. 
I  went  more  regularly  to  church,  and  became, 
according  to  the  wish  of  father  Schmucker,  a 
teacher  in  the  Sabbath  school.  I  also  visited 
the  classes  from  time  to  time,  and  often  felt  a 
desire  to  join;  but  the  fear  of  man  still  kept 
me  back.  With  gratitude  I  must  acknowledge, 
that  all  the  members  of  the  Church  treated  me 
with  the  greatest  love  :  father  Schmucker,  espe- 
cially, exhorted  and  encouraged  me  with  great 
gentleness  and  patience.  On  the  12th  of  Au- 
gust, camp  meeting  commenced.  I  felt  no  de- 
sire to  go,  and  therefore  remained  alone  at  home. 
The  following  Sabbath  I  was  sorely  tempted. 
I  thought  I  had  so  long  sought,  what  the  Meth- 
odists professed  to  have  found,  and  had  not  yet 
experienced  it,  I  had  better  try  the  Catholic 
Church  again.  I  got  my  prayer  book,  and  was 
on  my  way  to  the  church  ;  but  I  had  scarcely 
gone  a  few  squares  when  reflection  arrested 
me,  and  I  asked  myself,  if  I  was  still  a  Roman 
Catholic  in  faith?     All  the  errors  and  corrup- 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  199 

tions  of  Popery  were  presented  to  my  mind, 
and  I  had  to  confess  that  I  could  no  longer  be- 
lieve what  that  Church  taught,  as  it  was  against 
the  word  of  God.  I  returned  home  imme- 
diately, locked  myself  up,  and  began  earnestly 
to  pray  that  the  Lord  would  show  me  the  right 
way,  and  give  me  a  desire  to  go  to  camp  meet- 
ing, if  it  was  my  duty  to  go.  I  also  opened 
my  Testament  to  get  advice,  and  the  first  pas- 
sage that  met  my  eyes,  was  the  text  from  which 
I  iirst  heard  brother  Schmucker  preach.  This, 
of  course,  was  decisive.  I  firmly  resolved 
to  go  to  camp  meeting,  and  there  earnestly  seek 
the  Lord,  under  the  prayers  of  the  brethren. 
Our  milk-man,  with  whom  I  was  acquainted, 
happened  just  then  to  be  going  that  way,  as 
he  lived  near  the  camp-ground,  and  he  took  me. 
He  M^as  a  backslider,  and  on  the  way,  he  en- 
deavored to  convince  me  of  the  necessity  of 
conversion.  He  told  me  how  sorry  he  was 
that  he  had  got  back  so  far,  but  that  he  was  de- 
termined to  seek  the  Lord  again,  and  to  give 
up  his  business.  My  resolution  was  now 
strong,  not  to  return  to  the  city  until  I  had  the 
assurance  that  the  Lord  had  forgiven  my  sins, 
and  adopted  me  as  his  child.  On  Sabbath  even- 
ing, Monday,  and  Tuesday,  I  went  to  the 
mourners'  bench ;  but  self-righteousness  still 
reigned  in  my  heart.  On  Wednesday  morning 
the  camp  meeting  was  to  break  up ;  and  as  I 
arose  on  Tuesday  night  from  the  mourners' 
bench,  the  thought  struck  me,  how  wretched  I 
should  be,  if  I  had  to  return  home  as  I  came. 


200  ORIGIN    AND   PROGRESS   OF 

I  therefore  fell  again  on  my  knees,  and  entreat- 
ed God  to  show  me  my  sins  fully.  It  then  ap- 
peared as  if  a  book  was  opened,  in  which  all 
my  sins  were  written.  A  terrible  load  fell  upon 
my  conscience.  I  began  to  cry  aloud  for  mer- 
cy. Brother  Schmucker  prayed  earnestly  with 
me,  and  pointed  me  to  the  crucified  Redeemer. 
I  looked  up  to  Calvary,  and  my  Savior  smiled 
at  me.  The  intolerable  burden  fell  off,  and 
tears  of  joy  ran  down  my  cheeks.  With  what 
feelings  of  gratitude  and  love  I  embraced  my 
sisters  and  brethren  now,  I  cannot  describe. 
My  heart  was  full  of  joy,  and  I  joined  the 
Methodist  Church  the  same  evening.  The  fol- 
lowing morning  I  went  to  the  table  of  the  Lord, 
and  he  blessed  me  with  such  a  fullness  as  my 
weak  body  could  not  bear. 

O  ye  poor,  blinded  Romanists  !  if  you  knew 
how  good  it  is  to  confess  your  sins  to  the  Lord^ 
to  be  absolved  by  him,  and  by  him  alone,  and 
then  to  partake  of  his  supper  after  his  own  in- 
stitution, you  would  soon  give  up  your  dead 
ceremonies  and  seek  the  living  Fountain. 

From  this  moment  I  served  my  Savior — that 
Savior  who  purchased  me  so  dearly.  The  rage 
and  mockings  of  my  former  companions  ex- 
cited only  my  pity,  and  when  I  saw  that  they 
would  not  be  convinced,  I  withdrew  from  them 
as  much  as  possible. 

Not  long  after  this,  I  married  brother  Jacoby, 
with  the  determination  to  sacrifice  my  weak 
powers  in  the  service  of  the  Lord.  We  were 
sent  to  St.  Louis.     I  there  deeply  felt  the  want 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS. 


201 


of  class  meeting.  My  daily  prayer  to  God 
was,  "  Give  us  soon  a  German  class."  The 
Lord  heard  our  prayers.  Souls  were  convert- 
ed, and  the  Lord  gave  us  blessed  seasons  of 
refreshment.  My  prayer  also  was,  and  still  is 
for  my  yet  unconverted  parents,  brothers  and 
sister.  I  see  the  hand  of  God  in  their  coming 
to  this  country,  and  I  hope  he  will  convert 
them  all.  May  he  keep  me  faithful  unto  death, 
and  help  me  to  approach  him  nearer  and  nearer ! 

Brother  Xaver  LunemarCs  Experience. — 
With  a  joyful  heart  I  confess  the  great  things 
that  the  Lord  has  done  for  me  and  my  house. 
Glory,  praise  and  thanksgiving  be  to  God,  now 
and  for  ever ! 

I  received  my  religious  instruction  in  a  Ro- 
man Catholic  school  in  Germany.  I  heard, 
even  there,  that  a  man  must  be  born  again,  in 
order  to  enter  the  kingdom  of  God.  But  I  was 
taught  that  the  new  birth  consisted  in  baptism, 
and  that  conversion  was  the  confession  of  sins 
to  the  priest,  and  the  promise  of  amendment; 
and  further,  that  by  taking  the  holy  sacrament 
I  should  be  finally  saved. 

I  was  in  an  agreeable  situation  in  my  native 
country,  and  there  was  no  need  for  my  emigra- 
tion; but  suddenly  the  thought  of  going  to 
America  struck  my  mind.  I  am  fully  satisfied 
now,  that  I  was  led  here  by  the  invisible  hand 
of  that  God  who  had  saved  me  three  times  from 
evident  danger  of  losing  my  natural  life,  and 
who  has  recently  put  me  in  possession  of  the 
highest  good. 


202  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

ALbout  two  years  ago  I  heard  that  there  was 
an  infidel  preacher  in  our  city,  (St.  Louis,)  by 
the  name  of  Jacoby.  Curiosity  induced  me 
to  go  and  hear  him ;  but  to  my  great  astonish- 
ment, I  found  he  preached  the  Gospel  more 
plainly  and  forcibly  than  I  had  ever  before  heard 
it  in  all  my  life.  From  that  time  I  went  regu- 
larly to  his  church.  I  also  attended  camp  meet- 
ing and  love  feasts,  and  began  to  pray  with  my 
family ;  but  I  still  refused  to  kneel  down  in  the 
church,  and  confess  myself  a  sinner  before  the 
world:  self-righteousness,  pride,  and  tha  fear 
of  the  world,  had  the  mastery. 

On  the  evening  of  the  16th  of  April,  I  at- 
tended a  prayer  meeting  in  brother  Jacoby's 
house,  and  prayed  earnestly  on  my  knees  to 
my  Savior,  that  he  would  forgive  my  sins. 
In  that  hour  I  heard  him  say,  "  Arise,  my  son ; 
thy  sins  are  all  forgiven :  sin  no  more  !"  The 
last  words,  ^^  sin  no  more,^^  are  deeply  engra- 
ven on  my  heart.  I  shall  not  forget  them  as 
long  as  I  live.  As  for  me  and  my  house,  we 
are  firmly  resolved  to  serve  God,  according  to 
his  holy  will,  until  our  latest  breath. 

I  now  experience  that  kind  of  peace  which 
our  Savior  gave  to  his  disciples.  Surely  the 
world,  with  all  its  pomp,  wealth,  and  pleasure, 
cannot  give  such  peace.  How  transitory  and 
empty  is  all  that  the  world  bestows !  But  to 
have  peace  with  God,  and  to  walk  in  his  ways, 
makes  even  this  earth  a  paradise,  and  is,  more- 
over, the  sure  pledge  of  perfect  and  everlasting 
bliss  beyond  the  grave. 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  203 

My  only  prayer  is,  that  God  may  grant  me 
at  all  times  his  divine  strength  and  grace,  so 
that  I  may  preserve  this  heavenly  peace  in  my 
heart ;  and  that  I  may  endure  all  the  storms  of 
life,  and  patiently  bear  and  finally  overcome 
the  hardest  temptations  and  persecutions. 

From  my  own  experience  I  can  say,  that  it 
is  not  hard  for  a  truly  converted  man  to  go 
through  the  severest  trials,  upheld  by  the  power 
of  God.  0  how  joyful  do  I  feel,  when  I  look 
up  to  my  Savior,  knowing  that  I  am  reconciled 
to  my  God ! — that  he  is  my  leader  and  protector 
in  all  my  ways,  and  that  not  a  hair  falls  from 
my  head  without  his  will.  The  Lord  is  my 
shepherd.  I  have  no  want.  I  am  determined 
to  watch,  and  pray,  and  fight,  until  my  life's 
end,  and  then  I  shall  surely  receive  a  crown  of 
life. 

Brother  J.  Hauck's  Experience. — I  was 
brought  up  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 
My  mother  was  pious,  according  to  the  light 
and  information  she  had.  She  early  taught  us 
to  pray,  and  prayed  herself,  every  evening  a 
rosary  to  the  five  wounds,  the  Litany  of  the 
Virgin  Mary,*  from  thirty  to  forty  Pater  Nos- 

*  As  many  Protestants  do  not  know  what  is  meant  by  the  Lit- 
anies of  the  Catholic  Church,  we  will  insert  one  to  the  Virgin 
Mary.    It  shows  the  superstition  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church : 

"  We  fly  to  thy  patronage,  O  holy  JM other  of  God  !  despise  not 
our  petitions  in  our  necessities,  but  deliver  us  from  all  our  dan- 
gers, O  ever  glorious  and  blessed  Virgin ! 

Lord  !  have  mercy  on  us. 

Christ !  have  mercy  on  us. 

Lord !  have  mercy  on  us. 

Christ !  hear  us :  Christ !  graciously  hear  us. 

God  the  Father  of  heavenl  Have  mercy  on  us. 

God  the  Son,  Redeemer  of  the  world  I  Have  iturcy  on  us. 


204  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

ters,  and  Ave  Maria  to  the  honor  of  the  saints, 
and  for  the  poor  souls  in  purgatory. 

From  a  child,  I  had  an  inquiring  mind,  and 
was  always  fond  of  reading  books  of  various 
kinds.  In  a  visit  to  a  Protestant  neighbor,  I 
took  up  his  Bible  and  commenced  reading. 
Among  the  first  things  I  got  my  eyes  upon  was 
a  description  of  the  character  and  qualifications 
of  a  bishop,  as  given  by  St.  Paul.  I  was  much 
interested  in  this  book,  got  the  loan  of  it,  took 
it  home,  and  read  it  through.  I  was  then 
brought  to  reflection,  and  concluded  if  the  Bible 
was  right,  our  Church  was  wrong.  I  was  now 
thrown  into  some  embarrassment,  as  my  eyes 

God  the  Holy  Ghost!  Have  mercy  on  us. 
Holy  Trinity,  one  God !  Have  mercy  on  us. 

Holy  Mary ! 
Holy  Mother  of  God  ! 
Holy  virgin  of  virgins! 
Mother  of  Christ! 
Mother  of  Divine  grace ! 
Mother  most  pure ! 
Mother  most  chaste ! 
Mother  undefiled ! 
Mother  unviolated ! 
Mother  most  amiable ! 
Mother  most  admirable! 
Mother  of  our  Creator! 
Mother  of  our  Redeemer ! 
Virgin  most  prudent! 
Virgin  most  venerable ! 
Virgin  most  renowned ! 
Virgin  most  powerful ! 
Virgin  most  merciful ! 
Virgin  most  faithful ! 
Mirror  of  justice! 
Seat  of  wisdom  ! 
Cause  of  our  joy  ! 
Spiritual  vessel ! 
Vessel  of  honor! 
Vessel  of  singular  devotion! 
Mystical  rose ! 
Tower  of  David ! 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  205 

were  but  partially  opened.  I  continued  to  read 
the  Bible  about  a  year,  and  finally  thought  it 
might  be  wrong,  as  it  was  a  Protestant  Bible. 
The  owner  wishing  to  have  it  again,  I  return- 
ed it. 

I  now  commenced  reading  historical  works. 
As  religious  books  were  scarce  with  us,  of 
course,  I  had  but  litde  access  to  them.  I  finally 
went  to  B.  to  get  some  religious  books.  I 
there  obtained  the  loan  of  a  Catholic  Bible, 
which  consisted  of  fourteen  volumes.  I  read 
it  entirely  through.  This  Bible  was  full  of 
notes  and  explanations,  in  favor  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  religion.  I  was  now  again  confirmed 
in  my  Catholicism.    I  had  been  fond  of  amuse- 

Tower  of  ivory ! 

Hovise  of  gold ! 

Ark  of  the  covenant  1 

Gate  of  heaven ! 

Morning  star! 

Health  of  the  weak! 

Refuge  of  sinners! 

Comforter  of  the  afflicted !  <c 

Help  of  Christians !  J-  S 

Queen  of  ansels!  ^ 

Queen  of  patriarchs ! 

Queen  of  prophets ! 

Queen  of  apostles ! 

Queen  of  martyrs ! 

Queen  of  confessors ! 

Queen  of  virgins! 

Queen  of  ail'saints! 

Lamb  of  God,  who  takest  away  the  sins  of  the  world !  Spare 
us,  0  Lord ! 

Lamb  of  God,  who  takest  away  the  sins  of  the  world!  Gra- 
ciously hear  vs,  O  Lord! 

Lamb  of  God,  who  takest  away  the  sins  of  the  world !  Have 
mercy  on  ?/s .' 

Christ!  hear  us.     Christ!  graciously  hear  zcs. 

Lord !  have  mercy  on  us.  Christ !  hare  mercy  on  us.  Lord  ? 
have  mercy  on  us. 

V.  Pray  for  us,  O  holy  Mother  of  God ! 

R.  That  we  may  be  made  worthy  of  the  promises  of  Christ." 

18 


206  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

ment ;  and  I  frequented  those  places  in  which 
worldly-minded  men  seek  for  happiness.  After 
having  read  this  Bible,  and  meditated  much  on 
my  future  state,  I  became  more  retiring  in  my 
disposition,  and  had  a  wish  to  be  associated 
with  pious  people. 

One  day  I  was  permitted  to  see  a  letter  from 
America,  which  had  been  sent  to  the  pastor. 
In  it  I  read  of  the  liberties  which  were  enjoyed 
by  the  people.  This  awakened  in  me  a  desire 
to  go  to  America. 

At  this  time  I  was  leading,  according  to  the 
rules  of  our  Church,  a  strict  life.  I  kept  my- 
self from  all  outbreaking  sins ;  and  finally  got 
so  far  that  I  thought  I  had  nothing  more  to  con- 
fess but  the  follies  of  my  youth.  On  doing 
this,  the  priest  told  me  I  could  now  do  all 
through  the  instrumentality  of  alms-giving.  I 
consequently  kept  a  constant  supply  of  change 
in  my  pocket  so  as  to  embrace  every  possible 
opportunity  of  giving  something  away,  for  I 
believed  that  by  this  means  my  time  in  purga- 
tory would  be  shortened. 

After  I  had  resolved  to  go  to  America,  I  gave 
away  a  great  part  of  my  goods ;  as  I  was  afraid 
that  I  might  die  on  my  way,  and  might  go  to 
purgatory  without  having  given  sufficient  alms. 
In  going  to  America,  we  had  a  very  prosperous 
voyage.  We  had,  however,  a  very  provoking, 
contrary  friend  on  board,  who,  notwithstanding 
all  my  Catholic  piety,  made  me  swear  much 
during  the  voyage.  Much  as  I  had  paid,  and 
was  still  willing  to  pay,  in  order  to  free  my 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  207 

soul  from  purgatory,  I  was  not  afraid  to  swear 
profanely  ! 

On  the  12th  of  June,  1841,  I  landed  at  New 
Orleans,  with  my  wife  and  one  child.  Here  I 
was,  a  stranger — a  stranger  among  strangers, 
and  knew  not  what  direction  to  take.  My 
wife  and  child  sat  down  on  the  bank  of  the 
river ;  and  after  we  had  had  some  consultation, 
we  concluded  to  start  for  Cincinnati.  We  arri- 
ved there  on  the  27th  of  June,  1841.  I  now 
laid  my  plans  to  accumulate  wealth,  but  in  con- 
sequence of  family  affliction,  they  were  thwart- 
ed. I  was  still  a  constant  attendant  at  church, 
and  went  regularly  to  confession,  and  did  all  in 
my  power  to  aid  in  building  the  new  German 
church.  In  tlie  performance  of  all  this,  how- 
ever, I  had  no  peace  of  mind.  My  conscience 
was  disquieted. 

I  heard  that  the  Methodists  were  also  build- 
ing a  German  church  in  Cincinnati.  I  went 
one  evening  to  see  it,  a  friend  going  along  with 
me.  When  we  arrived  at  the  spot,  the  hands 
were  at  work,  and  the  preacher  was  among 
them.  My  friend  pointed  him  out  to  me.  I 
felt  some  anxiety  to  know  what  these  German 
Methodists  would  yet  come  to. 

One  day  a  Methodist,  by  the  name  of  L. 
R.,  came  into  my  house,  and  seeing  the  Ger- 
man Catholic  paper,  entitled,  "The  Friend  of 
Truth,"  laying  on  the  shelf,  he  asked  me  if 
I  also  read  that  misnomer;  for  he  declared  it 
was  the  friend  of  lies.  This  affronted  me ;  for 
I  thought  every  thing  published  in  the  Catholic 


208  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

paper  was  true.  Before  leaving  me,  he  asked 
if  I  had  a  Bible.  I  told  him  I  had  a  Catholic 
Testament.  This  individual  repeated  his  visits 
to  my  house,  and  related  to  me  his  own  expe- 
rience. He  stated  that  he  himself  had  been  a 
Roman  Catholic.  This  produced  a  powerful 
impression  on  my  mind.  I  commenced  going 
to  the  Methodist  meetings,  and  became  awa- 
kened. I  attended  mass  every  morning,  and 
at  night  went  to  the  Methodist  prayer  meet- 
ing. I  became  convinced  that  I  must  be  con- 
verted ;  but  thought  I  could  be  converted  and 
remain  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  My 
wife  now  became  dissatisfied,  and  wished  to 
return  to  Germany.  I  told  her  that  we  would 
pray  earnestly  to  God  that  he  would  open  our 
eyes,  and  teach  us  the  right  way  of  salvation. 
One  day  a  young  woman,  named  Mary,  be- 
longing to  the  German  Methodist  Church,  vis- 
ited my  wife,  and  talked  to  her  about  the  sal- 
vation of  her  soul,  and  prayed  with  her.  This 
made  a  deep  impression  on  her  mind.  Mary's 
prayer,  pious  conversation,  and  zeal  for  the  sal- 
vation of  souls,  together  with  her  youth,  so 
affected  my  wife,  that  her  mind  became  much 
changed.  At  night,  when  I  went  home,  she 
told  me  what  had  passed.  I  asked  her  if  she 
now  began  to  believe  tliat  the  Methodists  were 
right?  She  said  she  did.  We  wept  together, 
knelt  down,  and  tried  to  pray ;  but  I  could  not 
pray  from  the  heart.  I  felt  that  I  was  a  lost 
sinner.  I  called  on  God  to  help  me,  and  found 
some  liberty  in  my  prayer.     I  continued  half 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  209 

the  night  on  my  knees,  under  great  excitement 
and  fear. 

One  night,  soon  afterward,  my  wife  obtained 
peace  while  at  prayer,  and  then  exclaimed, 
"  Now  I  know  what  it  is  to  have  the  pardon  of 
sins."  She  could  then  pray  from  the  heart, 
and  could  praise  God  with  tears  of  joy.  She 
said  to  me,  "  See  that  you  follow  my  example." 
I  went  on,  however,  in  my  distress  for  some 
months.  It  appeared  as  if  I  could  not  fully 
give  myself  up  to  be  saved  by  grace.  The 
principal  difficulty  was,  that,  in  my  prayers,  I 
always  called  upon  the  saints,  and  the  Virgin 
Mary  too,  and  expected  help  from  them.  One 
Sabbath,  when  I  went  to  the  church,  hungry 
for  the  word  of  life,  the  priest  took  up  nearly 
all  the  time  in  talking  about  money  matters, 
selling  lots,  &c.  Although  I  had  but  a  few 
days  previously  rented  my  pew  in  the  new 
church,  I  resolved  to  attend  the  Methodist 
meetings  more  regularly ;  and  soon  afterward 
I  joined  the  society. 

I  heard  of  a  quarterly  meeting  at  Lawrence- 
burg,  and  attended  it.  I  there  found  a  degree 
of  peace  to  my  soul,  but  was  not  fully  satisfied 
with  the  evidence  of  my  acceptance  with  God. 
I  continued  to  use  the  means  of  grace ;  and 
one  day,  during  our  protracted  meeting  in  Cin- 
cinnati, in  the  winter  of  1843,  while  praying 
with  the  mourners,  I  felt  such  joy  as  I  had 
never  felt  before.  All  my  doubts  were  gone. 
I  seemed  to  be  loosed  from  the  world.  Jesus 
18* 


210  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

was  my  high  priest,  and  I  was  reconciled  to 
God  through  him. 

But  now  a  spirit  of  persecution  began  to 
manifest  itself.  Those  who  had  been  my 
warmest  friends  became  my  bitterest  enemies. 
One  day  I  went  to  the  house  of  an  old  friend, 
and  soon  had  a  crowd  around  me.  Some  told 
me  I  was  too  bad  for  hell  or  the  devil ;  and 
even  my  old  friend  told  me  that  I  must  get  out 
of  his  house.  I  felt  calm,  putting  my  trust  in 
God.  It  made  me  happy  to  be  counted  worthy 
to  suffer  reproach  for  his  name's  sake.  To 
enumerate  all  my  persecutions,  and  all  the 
threatenings  of  my  enemies,  and  all  their  at- 
tempts to  get  me  into  their  power  for  the  pur- 
pose of  abusing  me,  would  be  tedious. 

I  thank  God,  that  in  some  instances  he  has 
given  me  the  victory  over  my  foes.  On  one 
occasion  I  went  into  a  house,  and  the  inmates 
soon  told  me  I  had  fallen  from  the  faith.  I 
asked  them  for  a  Bible,  but  they  had  none.  I 
then  told  them  my  experience,  and  left  them 
all  in  tears.  Before  leaving,  some  of  them  con- 
fessed if  what  I  said  was  true,  I  was  far  from 
falling  from  the  faith.  On  another  occasion, 
an  old  man  of  seventy  years  told  me,  it  would 
be  no  wonder  if  he  should  stab  me  for  having 
joined  such  people  as  the  Methodists.  His  old 
lady  also  stated,  that  it  would  not  be  strange  if 
children  on  the  street  should  cast  mud  at  me. 
I  let  them  rage  on  till  they  were  done,  and  then 
related  my  experience  to  them.  They  both 
became  calm,  and  before  I  left  them  were  in 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  211 

tears.  The  old  man  came  to  me  the  next  day, 
and  confessed  his  astonishment  that  I  did  not 
get  angry  at  him,  and  appeared  quite  changed 
toward  me.  I  know,  indeed,  that  I  have  incur- 
red the  displeasure  of  my  former  friends ;  for 
wherever  I  go,  I  am  exposed  to  their  scorn  and 
ridicule.  One  of  my  neighbors,  whose  pew 
was  near  mine  in  the  German  Catholic  church, 
spat  in  my  face  soon  after  I  had  left  them,  for 
having,  as  he  said,  disgraced  the  holy  Catholic 
Church.  I  thank  God  that  1  have  been  ena- 
bled to  bear  all  my  persecutions  with  patience, 
and  I  believe  that  he  will  give  me  grace  to  re- 
main steadfast  unto  the  end. 

Since  my  conversion  I  have  visited  many  of 
the  Catholics.  My  sphere  of  operations  has 
not,  indeed,  been  confined  to  Cincinnati.  Be- 
ing employed  by  the  American  Tract  Society 
to  distribute  tracts  and  books  among  the  desti- 
tute, I  have  gone  through  a  considerable  part 
of  the  state  of  Indiana.  It  is  impossible  for 
any  one  to  conceive  of  the  superstitious  attach- 
ment of  the  people  to  the  priesthood,  unless  he 
has  witnessed  it  himself.  They  will  give  near- 
ly every  thing  they  can  raise  by  hard  labor,  for 
the  support  of  the  priests.  I  hope  and  pray 
to  God  that  many  more  of  them  may  be  brought 
to  a  saving  knowledge  of  the*  truth. 

I  have  good  reason  to  believe  that  numbers 
of  my  countrymen  will  yet  renounce  their  su- 
perstitions, and  come  to  the  light  of  the  Gos- 
pel. Since  I  have  been  engaged  as  tract  dis- 
tributor, I  have  seen  much  to  encourage  me.  3 


212  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

(j   One  day,  in  going  to  visit  a  family,  I  was  told, 

I  before  I  got  there,  not  to  go  into  the  house,  for 

\  the  head  of  the  family  was  a  very  bad  man, 

I  and  might  only  abuse  me.     I  stated  to  my  in- 

I  formant  that  I  would  go  if  the  devil  himself 

was  there,  and  would  talk  with  him,  if  he  could 

speak  German.     I  went  in,  and  prayed  with 

the  man ;  also  gave  him  Baxter's  Call,  and  left 

',   him  in  tears.     On  another  occasion  I  visited  a 

I   Catholic  family,  and  prayed  with  them.     The 

I  head  of  the  family  prayed  every  word  after 

I  me.     I  believe  he  is  sincere,  and  does  the  best 

J  he  can,  according  to  the  light  he  has. 

I  am  willing  to  follow  the  openings  of  Prov- 
idence, and  give  myself  wholly  to  God  and 
the  Church.  My  highest  aim  is,  to  be  an  hum- 
ble instrument  in  doing  something  for  the  good 
of  my  fellow  men,  and  the  promotion  of  the 
cause  of  religion.  No  earthly  remuneration 
could  induce  me  to  leave  my  family  in  order  to 
engage  as  tract  distributor.  Blessed  be  God, 
I  feel  happy  in  the  change  I  have  experienced, 
and  have  an  anxiety  that  all  the  world  should 
come  to  a  saving  knowledge  of  the  truth. 

Christian  Brokmeir's  Experience. — I  came 
to  America  on  the  20th  of  July,  1839.  During 
my  travels  through  the  eastern  cities,  I  heard 
occasionally  of  the  Methodists ;  but  as  they 
were  all  English  I  did  not  attend  any  of  their 
meetings.  I  was  born  and  brought  up  a  Ro- 
man Catholic;  and,  of  course,  was  strongly 
prejudiced  in  favor  of  the  religion  of  my  ances- 
tors.    When  I  came  to  Wheeling,  Va.,  I  met 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  213 

an  old  acquaintance,  with  whom  I  came  over 
the  ocean.  According  to  the  custom  of  my 
country,  I  thought  I  would  treat  him  Avith 
something  to  drink,  and  brought  him  a  pint  of 
whisky?  but  he  would  not  touch  it.  I  did  not 
know  at  that  time  that  he  was  a  Methodist.  I 
then  wished  him  to  play  for  me ;  but  he  refus- 
ed, and  said  it  was  not  for  the  glory  of  God  to 
play,  as  we  had  been  in  the  habit  of  doing. 
He  then  exhorted  me  to  repentance,  and  took 
me  to  some  of  his  Methodist  brethren.  I  was 
very  fond  of  talking  about  worldly  matters,  and 
did  not  like  to  hear  them  converse  so  much 
about  religion.  They  were,  however,  very 
kind  to  me.  I  was,  by  trade,  a  tailor,  and  my 
friend  got  work  for  me.  It  so  happened,  that 
the  family  for  whom  I  worked  were  pious.  I 
went  with  them  to  church ;  and  soon  after  we 
had  entered,  they  commenced  singing, 
"  How  tedious  and  tasteless  the  hours,"  &c. 
Their  singing  was  very  good,  and  struck  me 
very  forcibly.  From  their  appearance,  I  thought 
they  certainly  must  be  good  people.  I  was 
much  astonished,  however,  to  see  no  crucifixes 
in  the  church,  as  I  had  always  been  accustom- 
ed to  see  them  there  in  the  old  country.  Every 
thing  appeared  strange  to  me.  After  singing, 
brother  Swahlen,  their  preacher,  commenced 
praying.  One  woman  appeared  to  be  deeply 
affected  under  the  prayer.  I  could  not  tell 
what  it  meant,  and  therefore  kept  peeping  un- 
der my  arm,  to  see  what  was  going  on.  After 
prayer,  brother   Swahlen  began   his   sermon. 


214  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

He  observed  that  we  must  repent,  and  that  no 
one  could  obtain  pardon  without  repentance. 
He  also  remarked  that  the  Pope  could  not  par- 
don sins.  I  at  first  got  offended  at  him ;  but 
he  continued  earnestly  to  offer  the  Savior  to 
lost  sinners,  and  said  if  our  sins  were  red  as 
blood,  Christ  could  make  them  white  as  snow. 
I  became  deeply  affected,  and  felt  a  strange 
sensation  running  all  through  me.  My  heart 
was  now  very  tender,  notwithstanding  I  had 
been  angry  at  the  commencement.  Subse- 
quently I  attended  prayer  meeting ;  and  com- 
menced searching  the  Scriptures.  I  soon  saw 
that  I  must  be  converted.  I  was,  also,  blessed 
with  the  privilege  of  reading  the  Christian 
Apologist.  This  helped  me  very  much.  My 
heart  was  heavy,  and  I  was  sorely  tempted  by 
the  enemy.  Sometimes  I  feared  if  I  left  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  I  should  be  guilty  of 
perjury,  as  I  had  an  idea  that  I  was  sworn  to 
abide  in  that  Church.  The  brethren  told  me 
to  pray  over  the  matter,  and  God  would  make 
my  way  plain  before  me.  I  was  three  weeks 
in  a  deep  mental  conflict.  I  had  no  rest  all 
this  time. 

I  went  back  to  the  Roman  Catholic  church, 
and  thought  I  would  seek  religion  there ;  and 
strange  as  it  first  appeared  to  see  a  church 
without  pictures  and  images,  it  now  appeared 
still  more  strange  to  see  them  in  the  church. 
I  thought  too  on  the  solemn  command,  "Thou 
shalt  not  make  unto  thee  any  graven  image," 
&;c.     During  mass,  I  prayed  earnestly  to  God 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  215 

that  he  would  teach  me  the  ri;^ht  way ;  and  in 
the  midst  of  the  service,  while  we  were  kneel- 
ing, I  looked  at  the  altar,  and  thought  all  was 
not  right.  Christ  had  once  been  oflered  for  the 
sins  of  the  world  ;  and  yet  the  Catholics,  in 
the  mass,  profess  to  offer  him  again,  and  say 
that  the  bread  and  wine  are  changed  into  his 
real  body  and  blood.  While  some  gazed  at 
the  altar,  I  turned  my  face  to  the  wall,  and  con- 
tinued praying  to  God,  all  the  while  having  the 
impression  that  I  ought  to  go  amongst  praying 
people.  On  the  same  day,  it  was  published 
there  would  be  German  preaching  at  night.  I 
went  again,  and  the  priest  stated  that  all  who 
were  not  Roman  Catholics  would  not  be  saved, 
and  loudly  condemned  Luther,  Calvin,  and  the 
other  reformers ;  adding,  that  they  had  all  gone 
to  hell.  After  meeting,  some  of  them  asked 
me  if  I  did  not  now  believe  that  the  Roman 
Catholic  was  the  only  true  Church.  I  replied 
that  I  began  to  see  and  feel  that  I  must  read  the 
Bible  for  myself;  and  from  that  time  I  contin- 
ued faithfully  to  peruse  and  believe  it. 

On  the  following  Sabbath  I  took  a  walk,  and 
was  very  much  struck  with  finding  none  of 
the  praying  people  in  the  taverns.  This  con- 
vinced me  still  more  that  there  was  a  reality  in 
religion.  I  got  among  some  wicked  people, 
and  they  offered  me  something  to  drink.  I 
refused,  however,  to  take  it;  because,  in  a  ser- 
mon, I  had  heard  brother  Swahlen  declare,  that 
with  one  glass  of  whisky  a  man  might  quench 
the  operations  of  the  Spirit  of  God. 


216  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

I  was  now  ashamed  to  go  to  the  Methodist 
church  again,  as  I  had  become  so  deeply  affect- 
ed when  I  was  there  before,  and  then  had  gone 
back  to  the  Catholic  Church  again.  However, 
when  my  friend  went,  one  Sabbath  evening,  I 
followed.  As  I  went,  I  looked  at  the  moon 
and  stars,  and  was  deeply  impressed  with  the 
power  and  omnipresence  of  God,  and  the 
thoughts  of  eternity.  While  I  was  several 
hundred  yards  from  the  church,  I  heard  the 
preacher's  voice.  I  thought  I  would  go  near, 
and  keep  myself  concealed.  I  went  behind 
the  house,  looked  in  at  the  window,  and  heard 
every  word  the  preacher  said.  His  words 
came  with  power  to  my  heart,  and  I  again  felt 
that  if  I  did  not  sincerely  repent,  I  should  be 
lost  for  ever.  After  preaching,  brother  S.  in- 
vited the  mourners,  and  several  went  forward, 
much  affected.  They  commenced  praying,  and 
every  time  they  said  amen  at  the  close  of  a 
prayer,  I  started  and  ran,  thinking  the  meeting 
was  out,  and  fearing  that  they,  in  retiring,  M^ould 
see  me.  When  meeting  terminated  I  hurried 
home,  so  as  to  get  there  before  my  friend,  in 
order  that  he  might  not  suspect  me.  My  heart, 
however,  was  deeply  affected ;  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing Thursday  evening,  I  took  courage  and 
went  to  the  prayer  meeting,  and  told  the  Meth- 
odists I  was  now  willing  to  go  with  them. 

About  four  weeks  after  this,  I  heard  of  a  two 
days'  meeting  on  the  Monroe  mission,  about 
twenty  miles  from  Wheeling.  I  left  my  work 
when  the  time  arrived,  and  went  with  a  deter- 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  217 

mination  not  to  return  until  I  was  converted. 
The  meeting  was  protracted,  and  the  brethren 
prayed  with  me  every  night  for  nearly  one 
week.  They  were  much  engaged.  Some  of 
them  had  come  seven  and  eight  miles  to  meet- 
ing. In  the  day-time  I  went  into  the  woods 
and  prayed,  and  at  night  the  brethren  prayed 
for  me  at  the  altar.  Through  the  whole  week 
I  could  scarcely  eat  or  sleep.  On  Sabbath  af- 
ternoon, brother  Koenecke  preached  a  power- 
ful sermon.  I  commenced  praying  as  soon  as 
he  was  done ;  many  prayed  with  me,  and  I 
continued  until  I  obtained  peace  to  my  soul. 
I,  however,  still  felt  doubts  occasionally  arising 
in  ray  heart.  On  the  following  Wednesday 
evening,  I  attended  prayer  meeting  again,  when 
all  my  doubts  and  fears  left  me.  I  shall  never 
forget  that  time.  I  could  say,  "  The  Lord  hath 
done  great  things  for  me,  whereof  I  am  glad." 
I  then  went  joyfully  on  my  way  back  to  Wheel- 
ing. All  things  were  new  to  me.  My  heart 
was  filled  with  joy,  and  I  was  anxious  to  tell 
my  brethren  in  Wheeling  what  the  Lord  had 
done  for  me.  The  words  of  the  apostle  came 
forcibly  to  my  mind,  "  Our  conversation  is  in 
heaven,"  &c.  I  felt  that  my  soul  was  lifted 
up  to  God,  in  heavenly  meditation. 

I  now  daily  thank  my  Maker  that  he  has  led 
me  from  the  darkness  of  Popery — the  spiritual 
Babel,  and  from  the  slough  of  sin  and  iniquity. 
Bless  the  Lord,  0  my  soul ;  and  forget  not  all 
his  benefits  to  all  eternity  !  Amen. 
19 


218  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

Brother  Leger  Bitty^s  Experience.^—!  was 
brought  up  by  Roman  Catholic  parents.  They 
instructed  me  from  a  child,  in  the  doctrines  and 
usages  of  the  Church  to  which  they  belonged, 
and  I  consequently  became  a  firm  believer  in 
the  tenets  and  ceremonies  of  what  I  then  be- 
lieved to  be  the  only  true  Church  in  the  world. 
From  childhood  I  frequendy  had  serious 
thoughts  in  reference  to  the  salvafion  of  my 
soul,  but  more  especially  when  I  was  about 
nine  years  of  age.  I  was  deeply  awakened, 
and  brought  to  see  the  danger  I  was  exposed 
to  as  a  sinner.  The  thoughts  of  losing  my 
soul  were  indescribably  awful  to  me.  About 
this  time  my  parents  died,  and  I  was  left  an 
orphan.  Having  in  these,  the  early  years  of 
my  life,  such  serious  impressions  on  my  mind, 
I  "was  often  induced,  as  well  as  I  knew  how, 
to  call  upon  God,  that  he  would  have  mercy  on 
me  and  forgive  my  sins,  and  save  me  from  eter- 
nal death.  Thus  my  juvenile  years  passed 
away,  with  much  mental  anxiety  in  reference 
to  the  future. 

According  to  the  laws  and  customs  of  my 
country,  at  a  proper  age  I  entered  the  army, 
and  became  a  soldier.  This  was  in  the  year 
1819.  I  continued  in  the  army  eight  years. 
Here  I  was  introduced  into  a  class  of  society 
who  neither  fear  God  nor  regard  his  command- 
ments ;  but  on  the  contrary,  give  themselves 
up  to  all  manner  of  wickedness.  In  this  situ- 
ation, those  good  impressions  that  had  been 
made  upon  my  mind  in  early  life  gradually  left 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  219 

me,  until  I,  with  my  fellow  soldiers,  had  given 
myself  up  to  the  vices  of  the  day,  and  become 
a  miserable  drunkard. 

In  the  year  1828  I  emigrated  to  America,  in 
order  to  seek  a  home  in  the  new  world ;  but 
unfortunately  for  me,  I  brought  with  me  those 
habits  of  intemperance  which  I  had  contracted 
in  the  army.  As  some  of  my  associates  came 
with  me,  we  commenced,  as  soon  as  we  landed 
in  Philadelphia,  our  course  of  drunkenness  and 
revelry  anew.  I  was  naturally  of  a  very  strong 
and  robust  constitution,  and,  consequently,  could 
endure  much  exposure  to  wet  and  cold;  and 
could,  also,  drink  much  without  being  seriously 
injured  by  it.  One  of  my  associates,  who  had 
a  feeble  constitution,  fell,  in  his  attempts  to  fol- 
low me  in  my  course  of  dissipation,  a  victim 
to  his  crimes,  and  ended  his  days  in  wretched- 
ness ;  finding,  not  long  after  his  arrival  in  Amer- 
ica, a  drunkard's  grave. 

This,  however,  did  not  check  me.  I  re- 
mained a  whole  year  in  Philadelphia,  continu- 
ing my  course  of  drunkenness.  Although  I 
had  thus  given  myself  up  to  crime,  and  was 
bringing  destruction  upon  myself,  I  was  not 
left  to  go  on  without  some  monitions  of  con- 
science. I  knew  and  felt  that  I  was  doing 
wrong ;  but  as  I  had  been  taught  to  believe  that 
in  purgatory  I  should  have  to  make  up  for  my 
delinquencies  in  this  life,  of  course  its  refining 
fires  were  my  only  ground  of  hope,  and  my 
only  consolation  in  reference  to  the  future. 
My   convictions  for  sin,  however,  increased, 


220  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

and  my  health  failed.  I  wished  to  reform  and 
be  delivered  from  my  iniquities,  but  knew  not 
how  to  commence.  I  had  never  read  the  Bible, 
and  did  not  know  how  to  obtain  deliverance 
from  my  bondage.  My  passions  had  the  con- 
trol over  me,  and  I  appeared  to  be  hurried  with 
the  rapidity  of  a  torrent  in  my  career  of  mis- 
ery, not  having  power  to  restrain  myself. 

On  my  health  failing,  I  removed  to  Pitts- 
burg with  a  view  of  improving  it.  Here  I 
laid  sick  for  three  years.  After  having  tried 
every  remedy  prescribed  by  my  physician, 
he  gave  me  up  as  a  hopeless  case,  and  told 
my  wife  to  give  me  what  I  wanted  to  eat  and 
drink,  while  I  did  live,  as  I  could  not  possibly 
live  long. 

In  this  condition  the  Spirit  of  God  affected 
my  heart,  and  I  saw  myself  in  a  light  in  which 
I  had  never  seen  myself  before — a  great  sinner 
in  the  sight  of  God,  on  the  brink  of  eternity, 
without  any  preparation  to  meet  my  final  Judge. 
T  remained,  however,  so  confirmed  in  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  that  I 
thought  the  reading  of  a  great  many  masses  for 
me  might  deliver  me  from  my  sins,  and  afford 
relief  to  my  troubled  mind.  But  as  the  priest 
in  Pittsburg  charged  me  fifty  cents  for  each 
mass  he  read  for  me,  and  as  I  was  reduced  to 
poverty  by  my  drunkenness  and  protracted 
sickness,  I  could  not  raise  the  money  to  pay 
him  for  the  number  of  masses  I  thought  neces- 
sary. I  had,  however,  in  the  meantime,  a  good 
opportunity  to  send  to  Germany  to  have  mass 


THE   GERMAN   MISSIONS.  221 

read  for  me  there ;  and  as  I  could  get  it  done 
much  cheaper  there,  I  of  course  readily  em- 
braced the  opportimity.  I  wished  to  make  my 
little  means  go  as  far  as  possible,  and  therefore 
sent  on  two  different  sums,  the  first  time  thirty 
francs,  and  the  second  time  fourteen.  The 
franc  is  a  French  coin,  worth  about  twenty 
cents  of  our  money.  For  this  amount  I  got 
forty-four  masses  read,  being  more  than  twice 
as  many  as  I  could  have  had  in  Pittsburg  for 
the  same  amount.  I  had  also  learned  the  pray- 
ers of  the  Church,  and  frequently  said  them 
over.  But  all  this  had  not  the  desired  effect. 
I  found  that  the  priest  could  not  deliver  me 
from  my  burden  of  guilt.  I  finally  became  so 
deeply  awakened  and  sensible  of  my  lost  con- 
dition, that  I  sometimes  feared  the  earth  would 
open  and  receive  me,  with  my  load  of  sins 
upon  me. 

I  now  left  off  praying  to  the  saints,  and  com- 
menced praying  from  my  heart  to  God,  that  he 
would  have  mercy  upon  me,  and  forgive  my 
sins.  During  my  three  years'  sickness,  I  was 
three  months  in  this  awakened  condition.  When 
my  distress  of  mind  became  almost  intolerable, 
I  resolved  to  get  a  Bible,  and  see  if  I  could  not 
find  something  in  it  to  comfort  me.  I  conse- 
quently went  to  the  priest,  and  told  him  that  I 
must  have  a  Bible,  as  I  could  live  no  longer  in 
this  way.  He,  however,  refused  to  let  me 
liave  one.  I  offered  him  $10  for  a  copy,  but 
still  he  refused ;  and  then,  poor  though  I  was, 
I  offered  him  $20 ;  but  he  told  me  I  could  not 
19*  1 


222  ORIGIN    AND   PROGRESS   OF 

have  one  on  any  terms,  stating  that  the  Bible 
was  not  for  the  common  people.  I  replied  to 
him,  that  I  must  have  a  Bible,  and  that  if  he 
would  not  let  me  have  a  copy,  I  would  go  to  the 
Protestants  for  one.  He  appeared  angry  at 
me,  opened  the  door,  and  drove  me  out  of  the 
house ;  telling  me  to  go  to  church  every  Sab- 
bath, and  he  would  preach  the  Gospel  to  me. 
I  wanted  to  relate  to  him  the  sorrows  of  my 
heart,  and  tell  him  how  bad  I  felt;  but  he  would 
not  hear  me. 

After  I  had  left  the  priest,  I  had  my  fears 
that  if  I  obtained  a  Protestant  Bible,  it  might 
not  be  genuine ;  as  I,  from  a  child,  had  been 
made  to  believe  that  the  Protestant  Bible  was 
an  heretical  book,  and  that  it  only  deceived  those 
who  read  it.  I,  however,  finally  concluded 
that  my  condition  could  not  be  made  any  worse 
by  its  perusal,  and  resolved  to  embrace  the  first 
opportunity  to  get  one.  God,  in  the  order  of 
his  providence,  soon  caused  me  to  succeed  in 
my  effort,  which  was  in  the  following  manner. 
One  morning,  as  I  was  walking  out,  I  met  a 
woman  with  a  Bible  in  her  hand,  which  she 
had  obtained  from  the  American  Bible  Society. 
I  asked  her  if  she  would  sell  it,  to  which  she 
replied  that  she  would.  I  then  asked  if  it  con- 
tained the  whole  of  the  word  of  God — the  Old 
and  New  Testament?  She  said  it  was  all  per- 
fect, excepting  that  Martin  Luther's  name  had 
been  torn  out  of  the  title-page :  her  husband 
would  not  sufl^er  a  book  to  be  in  his  house  with 
Luther's  name  in  it.     I  did  not  object  to  it  on 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  223 

that  account;  for  we  had  been  taught  to  be- 
lieve that  Luther  was  an  arch  heretic — that 
he  had  deceived  a  great  number  of  people,  and 
was  now  chained  in  the  bottom  of  hell  for  his 
wickedness.  In  fact,  I  was  rather  glad  that  his 
name  had  been  torn  out.  After  I  had  obtained 
the  Bible,  I  went  to  seek  for  Christians  among 
the  German  Protestants  ;  thinking  that  all  Pro- 
testants, who  had  the  Bible,  were  good  people. 
But  in  this  I  was  much  mistaken.  I  found  that 
many  of  them  cursed  and  swore  as  much  as 
any  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Germans,  with 
whom  I  had  previously  been  associated. 

In  1833  I  removed  to  Cincinnati,  hoping  to 
find  some  one  who  could  comfort  me ;  but  no 
sooner  had  I  landed,  than  I  was  met  by  some 
of  my  old  Roman  Catholic  associates,  and  the 
first  thing  they  offered  me  was  a  bottle  of  whis- 
ky. I  refused  to  drink.  This  made  them  an- 
gry, and  they  called  me  a  Methodist.  At  this 
time  I  had  not  become  acquainted  with  the 
Methodists,  as  it  was  before  they  had  establish- 
ed missions  among  the  Germans.  About  this 
period,  Mr.  H.  came  to  Cincinnati,  and  profes- 
sed to  be  a  preacher  sent  of  God  to  teach  the 
right  way  of  salvation.  I  went  to  hear  him 
for  some  time,  but,  soon  found  he  was  not  the 
man  he  professed  to  be,  and,  therefore,  forsook 
him.  I,  however,  continued  to  read  my  Bible 
by  day  and  by  night ;  and  went  from  house  to 
house,  among  the  Catholics,  telling  them  that 
we  all  had  been  wrong,  and  that  we  must 
change  our  manner  of  living,  or  we  should  all 


224  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

be  lost.  About  five  weeks  after  I  came  to  the 
city,  1  was  one  day  talking  with  a  family  on 
the  subject  of  religion,  and  as  I  left  the  house, 
I  felt  the  burden  of  my  sins  roll  away ;  and, 
like  the  man  that  had  been  healed  by  Peter  and 
John,  I  could  leap  for  joy  and  praise  God  for 
his  goodness  and  mercy  to  me.  Thus,  without 
a  friend  to  instruct  me  in  the  path  of  salvation, 
God  led  me  in  a  Avay  I  had  not  known,  and 
delivered  my  feet  from  the  horrible  pit  and  the 
miry  clay,  and  established  my  goings.  I  went 
from  house  to  house,  praising  God,  and  telling 
what  he  had  done  for  my  soul.  Some  drove 
me  out  of  their  houses,  and  abused  me  much ; 
yet  this  did  not  discourage  me.  I  was  exceed- 
ingly glad  that  I  had  been  delivered  from  my 
superstition  ;  for  I  had  been  brought  up  to  be- 
lieve that  ours  was  the  oldest,  and,  consequent- 
ly, the  only  true. Church  in  the  world;  and  so 
strong  were  my  prejudices,  that  I  used  to  burn 
and  destroy  all  the  religious  tracts  that  were 
given  to  me.  But  now,  blessed  be  God,  I  felt 
that  a  great  change  had  passed  upon  me.  My 
blind  eyes  were  opened,  and  I  found  the  great- 
est delight  in  reading  the  holy  Scriptures. 

About  three  weeks  after  I  found  peace,  I  was 
impressed  that  it  was  my  duty  more  publicly 
and  extensively  to  labor  in  the  Lord's  vineyard. 
But  I  replied,  "liOrd,  send  another.  I  am  not 
learned.  I  cannot  instruct  my  fellow  men." 
I  disobeyed  what  I  believed  to  be  a  call  from 
God,  and  soon  lost  my  peace  of  mind,  which 
was  followed  by  the  most  awful  fears  and  pain- 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  225 

fill  forebodings  of  the  future.  I  finally  remov- 
ed to  the  country,  hoping  to  find  some  comfort 
for  my  soul  in  a  more  retired  life  ;  but,  instead 
of  this,  I  only  felt  worse.  I  could  neither  eat, 
drink,  nor  sleep,  with  any  satisfaction.  I  felt 
that  I  was  lost,  and  that  by  my  disobedience  I 
had  placed  myself  beyond  the  reach  of  God's 
mercy.  I  retained,  however,  a  great  anxiety 
for  the  salvation  of  my  family ;  for  I  thought 
if  I  went  to  destruction  myself,  I  should  be 
very  sorry  to  have  my  family  ruined  with  me. 
My  distress  of  mind  finally  became  so  great, 
that  I  took  to  drinking  again,  in  order  to  drown 
my  sorrow.  In  the  lapse  of  time,  however, 
my  mind  became  more  calm :  those  tormenting 
fears,  in  a  degree,  left  me ;  and  I  again  felt  that 
I  could  take  some  interest  in  th6  cause  of  relig- 
ion; and  could  rejoice  in  witnessing  the  pros- 
perity of  Zion.  I  had,  by  this  time,  joined 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church ;  and,  although 
I  was  in  a  good  degree  free  from  deep  com- 
punctions of  soul,  yet  I  had  no  peace  in  my 
heart.  I  made  knoAvn  my  situation  to  a 
friend,  a  Methodist  preacher,  and  asked  his  ad- 
vice. He  told  me  to  go  forward  and  do  my 
duty.  I  immediately  went  to  the  house  of  a 
neighbor  who  was  not  religious,  and  commen- 
ced exhorting  him  to  seek  the  salvation  of  his 
soul.  From  this  time  I  began  to  feel  better. 
That  peace  of  mind  w  hich  1  had  lost,  returned, 
as  I  went  on  in  the  work  of  exhorting  people, 
from  house  to  house,  to  seek  salvation. 

Soon  after  this,  I  received  a  call  from  the 


226  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

officers  of  the  Tract  Society,  to  engage  in  the 
distribution  of  tracts   among  the  Germans.     I 
1  agreed  to  undertake  it  three  months,  in  order 
!  to  make  a  trial ;  and  then,  if  no  good  appeared 
to  be  done,  I  would  give  it  up,  and  have  noth- 
ing for  my  time.     Accordingly,  I  commenced, 
and  soon  found  that  God  gave  me  access  to  the 
,  hearts  of  my  countrymen.    Many  became  deep- 
i  ly  affected,  when  I  talked  to  them  on  the  sub- 
'  ject  of  religion,  at  their  houses,  and  appeared 
to  receive  the  tracts  and  books  with  glad  hearts. 
These  tokens  for  good,  induced  me  to  continue 
in  this  work.     I  have  already  seen  some  of  my 
j  Catholic  countrymen  forsake  their  superstitions 
jand  seek  salvation  by  faith  in  Christ.     Many 
ihave  received  the  Bible,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped 
^,that  the  fruits  of  these  labors  will  be  seen  in 
days  to  come. 

In  conclusion,  I  would  say  to  my  English 
brethren,  pray  that  God,  in  great  mercy,  may 
open  the  blind  eyes  of  my  countrymen,  and 
bring  them  to  a  saving  knowledge  of  the  truth. 
I  feel  myself  happy  in  the  great  change  I  have 
experienced.  While  I  was  in  my  former  state, 
I  was  a  poor  miserable  drunkard,  and  spent 
nearly  all  I  made  by  my  intemperance;  my 
family  often  being  left  to  suffer.  But  as  soon 
as  I  sought  God,  and  became  sober,  I  had 
enough  to  make  my  family  comfortable.  I 
would,  therefore,  exhort  all  who  are  living  as  I 
lived,  to  turn  to  the  Lord  and  seek  salvation, 
and  secure  to  themselves  peace  on  earth  and 
an  everlasting  inheritance  in  heaven.    For  god- 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  227 

liness  has  the  promise  of  the  life  that  now  is 
and  of  that  which  is  to  come. 

Mr.  George  Ixottenstebi' s  Experience. — 
This  experience  was  sent  in  a  letter  to  a  pri- 
vate friend,  and  afterward  published  in  the 
Christian  Apologist.  The  editor  introduces  it 
with  the  following  explanatory  remarks  : 

"Brother  R.  was,  a  short  time  ago,  editor  of 
a  political  paper  in  Philadelphia,  and  I  exchan- 
ged with  him,  as  with  all  other  German  editors. 
And  although  I  did  not  receive  his  paper  for  a 
while,  I  continued  to  send  him  the  Apologist, 
in  hopes  that  it  might  be  '  bread  cast  upon  the 
waters,  which  Avill  be  seen  after  many  days.' 
But  the  Lord  did  far  more  than  my  faint  hope 
anticipated.  He  made  it  soon  one  of  the  means 
by  which  this  stranger  was  aroused  to  turn  his 
attention  to  religion.  He  left  the  tumultuous 
political  theatre  as  a  seeker  of  the  kingdom  of 
God,  and  was  happily  converted  in  a  great  revi- 
val of  our  Church,  at  Charlotte  Court-House, 
Va.,  in  which,  he  says,  he  was  the  hundredth 
convert.  No  sooner  did  he  experience  the 
love  of  Christ  in  his  heart,  than  this  love  con- 
strained him  to  tell  his  large  circle  of  friends, 
through  the  columns  of  the  Apologist,  what 
the  Lord  had  done  for  his  soul.  He  is  now  a 
teacher  at  Randolph  Macon  College.  May 
the  Lord  bless  the  warm  appeal  of  our  young 
brother,  to  the  conviction  of  many  of  his  coun- 
trymen !  And  will  our  brethren  in  the  eastern 
cities,  where  there  are  thousands  of  unconvert- 
ed Germans,  by  this  witness  from  among  them- 


228  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS   OF 

selves,  not  be  convinced  of  the  importance  and 
necessity  of  patronizing  our  German  mission 
paper?  We  had  not  one  subscriber  in  the 
city  of  Philadelphia,  when  we  sent  the  Apolo- 
gist as  exchange  for  a  political  paper,  and  now 
we  have  but  three  copies  circulating  in  that 
great  city !  Let  me,  in  conclusion,  remark, 
that  brother  R.  is  not  a  solitary  instance  of  con- 
version from  Roman  Catholic  superstition,  or 
infidelity.  In  every  class,  in  our  missions,  we 
hear  some  converts  from  Roman  Catholicism, 
and  some  former  Rationalists,  testify  that  Christ 
has  power  on  earth  to  forgive  sin.  At  our  late 
camp  meeting,  not  less  than  eight  Roman  Cath- 
olics threw  away  their  idolatrous  beads,  crosses, 
and  charms,  and  learnt  to  worship  God  in  spirit 
and  in  truth.  And  though  it  is  but  a  few  weeks 
since  conference,  we  can  say  that  the  Lord  has 
revived  his  work  here,  at  Marietta,  and  Wheel- 
ing. Four  persons  have  been  converted  here, 
one  of  whom  was  only  one  week  from  Ger- 
many;  eighteen  joined  at  Marietta;  and  fifteen 
at  Wheeling ;  of  whom  the  greater  part  obtained 
the  remission  of  their  sins.  We  have  reason 
to  say  to  the  friends  of  our  German  missions, 
and  to  the  patrons  of  the  Christian  Apologist, 
that  their  prayers  for  the  Germans  are  heard  in 
heaven,  and  their  benevolence  produces  fruit 
unto  eternal  life.  May  they  never  cease  to  re- 
member us,  until  among  the  German  immigrants, 
victory  is  turning  on  the  side  of  the  Lord ! " 

To  MY  FRIEND  D., — My  intention  in  send- 
ing you  this  open  letter,  is  to  call,  not  only 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  229 

your  attention,  but  that  of  my  many  very  dear 
friends,  who  are  scattered  through  the  tJnited 
States,  to  their  religious  condition,  which,  in 
the  nature  of  things,  deserves  their  deepest 
reflection. 

Brought  up  in  the  Romish  Church,  you 
know,  that  I  have  rejected,  long  ago,  her  idola- 
trous practices ;  that  I  could  not  believe  the 
dogma,  that  all  who  live  out  of  her  pale,  are 
lost;  that  the  priests  have  the  power  and  right, 
not  only  to  remit,  but  even  to  retain  sins.  You 
know  that  it  appeared  ridiculous  to  me,  when 
a  priest,  like  a  juggler,  pretended  to  change 
the  wafer  into  the  true  body  and  true  blood  of 
Christ,  by  the  recital  of  a  few  Latin  Avords. 
You  know  that  I  despised  the  frauds,  which 
were  practiced  with  images,  in  order  to  get 
money  out  of  the  pockets  of  a  credulous  popu- 
lace. You  know  that  it  was  lothsome  to  me, 
to  hear  the  Pope  proclaimed  as  the  Vicar  of 
God,  and  that  I  never  believed  his  pretended 
infallibility. 

But  you  know,  also,  that  I  pitied  all  other 
professors  of  religion,  as  weak-minded,  mis- 
guided persons,  and  thought  man  could  not  fail 
of  future  happiness,  if  he  only  performed  the 
moral  duties  toward  his  neighbor.  But  one 
reason  of  my  despising  the  Romish  Church 
and  her  pomp,  with  which  she  blinds  the  eyes 
of  the  credulous,  as  well  as  of  my  indiflerence 
toward  the  Protestant  community,  was  this, 
that  I  could  not  find  that  influence  of  religion 
upon  the  social  and  civil  life,  Avhich  must  be 
20 


230  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

considered  as  the  test  of  true  Christianity.  In 
our  fatherland,  where  religion  depends  upon, 
and  is  paid  by,  the  state,  and  where  we  were 
not  permitted  to  worship  God  according  to  our 
own  conscience,  the  heart  took  no  part  in  the 
divine  service ;  all  our  religious  exercises  were 
cold,  "like  lava  gathered  at  the  foot  of  foreign 
volcanoes."  The  sum  of  our  religious  instruc- 
tion was,  "Fear  God,  and  love  the  king!" 
You  know,  moreover,  how  many  hypocritical 
and  immoral  ministers  of  the  Gospel  we  met, 
who  could  not  impart  to  us  any  reverence  for 
the  doctrines  they  taught.  With  such  views 
of  religion  we  came  to  America,  the  land  of 
religious  and  political  liberty. 

In  accordance  with  my  religious  feelings,  I 
heard,  at  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  the  dis- 
courses of  the  so  called  Rationalists ;  but  I  felt, 
that  this  too  could  have  no  favorable  influence 
upon  the  morality  of  the  citizens ;  think,  for 
instance,  only  of  that  famous  funeral  address, 
at  the  grave  of  a  German.  I  left  the  grave 
with  the  conviction,  that  "reason"  cannot  an- 
swer "  that  question  which  so  often  obtrudes 
itself  on  the  worldling  in  his  calmer  hours,  but 
from  which  he  turns  away  again  and  again, 
until,  on  the  last  sick-bed  of  this  life,  it  becomes 
the  yell  of  vengeance  for  his  squandered  days, 
For  what  am  I  horn  9''^  I  once  heard  the 
preacher  of  the  Rationalistic  society  exclaim, 
"  There  is  no  God ! "  To  be  sure,  he  was 
intoxicated  at  the  time;  but  we  know  that  an 
intoxicated  man  tells  all  that  is  in  his  heart.    It 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  231 

was  about  that  time,  that  I  became  more  inter- 
ested in  religion,  by  reading  the  Christian 
Apologist  and  Fletcher's  Works.  Bat  I  re- 
member well,  how  angry  I  often  became,  when 
I  read  so  much  about  the  total  depravity  of  my 
heart.  I  tried  in  vain  to  comfort  myself  with 
the  thought,  that  there  are  worse  men  than 
myself  in  the  world.  I  moved,  then,  to  Vir- 
ginia, where  I  saw,  at  last,  the  practical  influ- 
ence of  religion ;  where  I  discovered  plainly 
the  difference  between  professors  of  religion 
and  unbelievers.  I  met  with  men  who  love 
their  neighbor,  who  are  afraid  to  tell  the  least 
untruth,  who  live  in  brotherly  concord,  and 
find  all  their  happiness  in  the  name  of  Jesus. 
I  now  became  convinced  that  I  must  become  a 
Christian,  in  order  to  become  a  good  man.  I 
read  Wesley's  sermon  on  Ephesians  ii,  8,  "  By 
grace  are  ye  saved  through  faith ;  and  that  not 
of  yourselves  :  it  is  the  gift  of  God."  I  read 
this  sermon  over  and  over.  I  doubted,  yet  felt 
inclined  to  believe  it,  because  I  saw  men  happy 
in  this  belief.  I  consulted  with  some  preach- 
ers ;  they  all  said  to  me,  "  Read  the  Bible,  and 
pray  !  "  But  this  answer  did  not  satisfy  me  ; 
yet  I  thought,  if  it  is  '•Hhe  gift  of  God,^^  I 
may  pray  to  him,  should  my  mind  be  ever  so 
unfit  and  unprepared  for  it:  and  praise,  glory, 
and  thanksgiving  be  to  the  Lord !  he  heard  my 
prayer,  all  my  doubts  are  gone.  I  feel,  for  the 
first  time,  that  I  am  a  Christian! 

The  17th  of  this  month,  I  heard  of  a  great 
revival  at  Charlotte  Court-House.    I  went  there 


232  ORIGIN   AND   PROGRESS    OF 

from  a  conviction  that  I  should  place  myself 
within  the  reach  of  the  means  of  conversion. 
The  first  sermon  which  I  heard  affected  me  in 
such  a  manner,  that  the  tears  burst  from  my 
eyes.  I  saw  the  penitents  hastening  in  crowds 
to  the  altar.  I  heard  their  confessions,  and 
could  hardly  refrain  myself  from  following 
them.  I  asked  the  minister,  if  it  was  necessary 
to  go  to  the  altar :  if  it  was  not  rather  against 
Matthew  vi,  5.  He  told  me  the  outward  form 
was  not  essential,  but  that  a  true  penitent  felt 
willing  to  humble  himself.  I  read  at  home, 
Luke  xviii,  11-13,  in  order  to  excuse  my  pride 
and  false  shame ;  but  upon  reflection  I  was  com- 
pelled to  confess  to  myself,  that  the  open  pro- 
fessions of  the  Pharisees  procured  for  them 
worldly  honors,  while  the  publican  cared  for 
nothing  but  the  salvation  of  his  soul.  I  saw, 
that,  unless  I  threw  away  all  pride,  I  could  not 
become  a  partaker  of  the  grace  of  Christ. 

Sabbath,  the  20th  of  this  month,  I  entered, 
tremblingly,  the  house  of  God,  knelt  down, 
and  reviewed  my  whole  past  life.  I  felt,  for 
the  first  time,  through  how  many  dangers  my 
Maker  had  protected  me,  how  thankful  I  ought 
to  have  been,  and  how  criminally  I  had  spent 
my  time.  The  greatest  obstacle  wliich  I  had 
to  overcome,  was  the  hatred  which  I  felt  in  my 
heart  against  the  aristocrats  of  Europe.  I 
thought  of  my  brother,  who  had  perished  in 
the  fortresses  of  Prussia.  I  thought  of  my 
second  brother,  who  still  suffers  in  an  Austrian 
prison.     I   thought  of  my   oppressed  native 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  233 

country.  I  could  not  find  peace,  and  returned 
from  the  church  without  comfort.  After  I  got 
home,  I  read  the  New  Testament,  and  prayed 
the  Lord's  prayer.  When  I  came  to  the  peti- 
tion, "  Forgive  us  our  trespasses,  as  we  forgive 
those  that  trespass  against  us,"  I  remembered 
Jesus  on  the  cross,  and  heard  his  dying  voice, 
"  Lord,  forgive  them  !"  A  sudden  flash  of  light 
burst  into  my  soul.  In  a  moment  I  could  em- 
brace all  my  enemies  ;  and  feeling  that  the  mir- 
aculous work  of  regeneration,  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  was  wrought  in  my  heart,  I  exclaimed, 
*'  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  peace  on 
earth!" 

My  dear  bosom  friend,  with  anxiety  I  entreat 
you,  ''Learn  to  know  thyself!"  You  believe 
in  a  God,  a  future  world,  and  its  rewards.  If 
there  are  future  rewards,  there  must  be  also  fu- 
ture punishments  :  if  the  reward  is  eternal  bliss 
in  heaven,  the  loss  of  this  eternal  bliss  must  be 
eternal  misery  in  hell.  Is  it  not  then  of  the 
highest  importance  to  know  in  what  way  we 
can  obtain  the  gi-eat  reward?  You  say,  "  Ful- 
fill your  moral  duties."  But,  my  friend,  look 
Avithin  and  inquire,  how  much  wrong  you  have 
done ;  and  examine  the  motives  of  your  good 
works,  and  you  will  shudder.  Answer  me  but 
one  question :  Would  the  laws  of  the  country 
not  condemn  a  person  who  stole,  though  he 
may  not  be  a  murderer ;  nay,  though  he  may 
have  saved  many  lives  ?  Can  your  giving  alms 
to  somebody  justify  you  for  slandering  another? 
You  cannot  be  saved  but  by  the  grace  of  our 
20* 


234  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Do  not  think  it  foolish- 
ness ;  you  cannot  know  what  we  receive  by 
believing  in  the  pardoning  mercy  of  God,  ex- 
cept you  have  been  thoroughly  convicted  of 
sin.  I  therefore  repeat  my  entreaties,  take  the 
first  step,  learn  to  know  thyself,  and  you  will 
assuredly  meet  Jesus  full  of  grace  and  truth. 
He  died  for  all — for  thee — and  opened  a  way 
of  salvation  by  his  precious  blood.  Hoping  to 
hear  from  you  soon,  I  remain  your  friend. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

OTTERBEIN  AND  OTHER  METHODISTIC 
GERMANS. 

Among  the  Germans  who  immigrated  to  the 
United  States  during  the  former  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  there  were  several  men  of 
great  excellency.  After  the  Methodists  had 
become  numerous,  they  were  more  or  less  con- 
nected with  them ;  if  not  in  Church  organiza- 
tion, they  were  in  Church  fellowship,  labors 
and  spirit.  Had  they  become  organized  as  a 
German  part  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
much  more  good  would  have  resulted  from  their 
labors.  The  following  account  of  them  was 
published  in  the  Methodist  Magazine,  Vol.  VI, 
pp.  22,  249,  and  re-published  in  Bangs'  Histo- 
ry of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Vol. 
H,  pp.  365-376.  It  was  furnished  at  the  re- 
quest of  Bishop  Asbury,  sometime  before  his 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  235 

death,  by  his  friend,  F.  Hollings worth,  who 
transcribed  the  Bishop's  Journal,  and  prepared 
it  for  the  press  : 

"Jacob  Boehm,  the  ^eat-grandfather  of  one 
of  the  distinguished  subjects  of  the  following 
notices^  was  of  a  respectable  family  in  Swit- 
zerland ;  and,  as  is  presumed,  a  member  of  the 
German  Presbyterian  Church.  His  son  Jacob 
was  put  to  a  trade ;  and  after  faithfully  serving 
out  his  time,  he,  according  to  the  custom  of  his 
country,  set  out  upon  his  three  years'  travels. 
In  his  wanderings  through  Germany  he  fell  in 
with  the  Pietists ;  a  people  in  their  faith,  dis- 
cipline, and  worship,  resembling,  in  a  good  de- 
gree, tJie  Methodists,  but  more  closely  the  socie- 
ties and  congregations  formed  by  AVilliam  Ot- 
terbein  and  Martin  Boehm.  Upon  our  traveler's 
return  to  the  parental  roof,  he  talked  in  a  style 
that  neither  his  father  nor  the  parson  could 
comprehend ;  they  Avere  natural  men,  and  un- 
derstood not  the  things  of  God.  His  evangel- 
ical conversation,  mingled,  most  probably,  with 
reproof  of  the  vices  and  pharisaism  of  the  day, 
brought,  by  necessary  consequence,  persecu- 
tion upon  him ;  and  he  was  sent,  guarded  by 
an  elder  brother,  to  prison.  He  escaped,  how- 
ever, from  his  confinement,  and  sought  a  refuge 
in  Germany,  where  he  remained,  having  set- 
tled near  the  Rhine.  He  shortly  after  attached 
himself  to  the  Menonists,  became  an  honored 
elder  in  tliat  Churcli,  and,  we  trust,  died  in  the 
Lord.  His  son  Jacob,  the  third,  was  also  a 
member  in  the  Meuonist  Church.     He  gave  an 


236  ORIGIN    AND   PROGRESS   OF 

example  of  sobriety,  temperance,  and  industry 
to  his  children  and  neighborhood  before  and 
after  his  immigration  to  Pennsylvania,  in  1716 
or  '17;  and  was  honored  in  both  countries. 
As  a  professor  of  religion  he  lived  up  to  the 
light  he  had ;  but  it  was  under  the  ministry  of 
his  better  instructed  son,  Martin  Boehm,  that 
he  was  blest  with  superior  illumination.  He 
died  in  peace  at  the  family  plantation,  on  Peca- 
way,  Conestoga  township,  Lancaster  county, 
Pennsylvania,  aged  eighty-seven  years.  The 
son  of  Jacob  Boehm  the  third,  Martin  Boehm, 
of  whom  we  desire  to  speak  more  particularly, 
was  born  in  November,  1725.  The  labors  and 
experience  of  his  life,  as  a  professor  of  relig- 
ion and  minister  of  Christ,  may  be  pretty  justly 
estimated  by  what  we  learn  from  himself,  com- 
municated in  answer  to  certain  questions  pro- 
pounded to  him  by  his  son  Jacob,  which  we 
here  transcribe : 

'  Question.  Father,  when  were  you  put  into 
the  ministry  ? 

*  Answer.  My  ministerial  labors  began  about 
the  year  1756.  Three  years  afterward,  by 
nomination  of  the  lot,  1  received  full  pastoral 
orders. 

*  Q.  What  had  been  your  religious  experi- 
ence at  that  time  ? 

<  .^.  I  was  sincere  and  strict  in  the  religious 
duties  of  prayer  in  my  family,  in  the  congre- 
gation, and  in  the  closet.  I  lived  and  preached 
according  to  the  light  I  had.  I  was  a  servant, 
and  not  a  son ;  nor  did  I  know  any  one  at  that 


THE    GERMAN    MISSIONS.  237 

time  who  could  claim  the  birth-right  by  adop- 
tion but  Nancy  Keagy,  my  mother's  sister; 
she  was  a  woman  of  great  piety  and  singular 
devotion  to  God. 

*  Q.  By  what  means  did  you  discover  the 
nature  and  necessity  of  a  real  change  of  heart? 

'  A.  By  deep  meditation  upon  the  doctrines 
which  I  myself  preached  of  the  fall  of  man, 
his  sinful  state,  and  utter  helplessness,  I  discov- 
ered and  felt  the  Avant  of  Christ  within.  About 
the  year  1761,  hearing  of  a  great  work  of  God 
in  New  Virginia,  among  the  New  Lights,  as 
they  were  called,  I  resolved  to  lind  the  truth 
more  fully.  I  accordingly  visited  those  parts, 
and  saw  many  gracious  souls  who  could  give  a 
rational  and  Scriptural  account  of  their  expe- 
rience and  acceptance  with  God ;  these  assur- 
ances roused  me  to  greater  efforts  to  obtain  the 
blessing.  On  my  return,  very  large  congrega- 
tions assembled  to  hear  the  word,  not  only  on 
the  Sabbaths,  but  on  week  days  also.  My  zeal 
displeased  some  of  my  brethren  in  the  minis- 
try ;  but  my  lieart  was  enlarged,  and  I  had  an 
earnest  travail  of  soul  to  extend  the  knowledge 
of  salvation  to  Jew  and  Gentile.  I  enlarged 
the  sphere  of  my  labors  as  much  as  my  situa- 
tion in  life  would  permit. 

'  Q,  Were  your  labors  owned  of  the  Lord 
in  the  awakening  and  conversion  of  souls  ? 

'  A.  Yes  :  many  were  brought  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  truth.  But  it  was  a  strange  work; 
and  some  of  the  Menonist  meeting-houses  were 
closed  against  me.     Nevertheless,  I  was  receiv- 


238  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS    OF 

ed  in  other  places.  I  now  preached  the  Gos- 
pel spiritually  and  powerfully.  Some  years 
afterward  I  was  excommunicated  from  the  Men- 
onist  Church  on  a  charge,  truly  enough  advan- 
ced, of  holding  fellowship  with  other  societies 
of  a  different  language.  I  had  invited  the 
Menonites  to  my  house,  and  they  soon  formed 
the  society  in  the  neighborhood  which  exists 
to  this  day:  my  beloved  wife  Eve,  my  chil- 
dren, and  my  cousin  Keagy's  family,  were 
among  the  first  of  its  members.  For  myself, 
I  felt  my  heart  more  greatly  enlarged  toward 
all  religious  persons,  and  to  all  denominations 
of  Christians.  Upward  of  thirty  years  ago  I 
became  acquainted  with  my  greatly  beloved 
brother,  William  Otterbein,  and  several  other 
ministers,  who  about  this  time  had  been  eject- 
ed from  their  Churches,  as  I  had  been  from 
mine,  because  of  their  zeal,  which  was  looked 
upon  as  an  irregularity.  We  held  many  and 
large  meetings  in  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  and 
New  Virginia,  which  generally  lasted  three 
days :  at  these  meetings  hundreds  were  made 
the  subjects  of  penitence  and  pardon.  Being 
convinced  of  the  necessity  of  order  and  disci- 
pline in  the  Church  of  God,  and  having  no 
wish  to  be  at  the  head  of  a  separate  body,  I 
advised  serious  persons  to  join  the  Methodists, 
whose  doctrine,  discipline,  and  zeal  suited,  as 
I  thought,  an  unlearned,  sincere,  and  simple- 
hearted  people.  Several  of  the  ministers  with 
whom  I  labored,  continued  to  meet  in  a  confer- 
ence of  the  German  United  Brethren ;  but  we 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  239 

felt  the  difficulties  arising  from  the  want  of  that 
which  the  Methodists  possessed.  Age  having 
overtaken  me,  with  some  of  its  accompanying 
infirmities,  I  could  not  travel  as  I  had  formerly- 
done.  In  1802  I  enrolled  my  name  on  a  Meth- 
odist class-book,  and  I  have  found  great  com- 
fort in  meeting  with  my  brethren.  I  can  truly 
say,  my  last  days  are  my  best  days.  My  be- 
loved Eve  is  traveHng  with  me  the  same  road 
Zion-ward ;  my  children,  and  most  of  my  grand- 
chiklren,  are  made  the  happy  partakers  of  the 
same  grace.  I  am,  this  12th  of  April,  1811, 
in  my  eiffhty-sixth  year.  Through  the  bound- 
less goodness  of  my  God,  I  am  still  able  to  visit 
the  sick,  and  occasionally,  to  preach  in  the 
neighborhood :  to  his  name  be  all  the  glory  in 
Christ  Jesus !' 

"  Martin  Boehm  died  on  the  23d  of  March, 
1812.  His  death  was  thought  to  have  been 
hastened  by  an  imprudent  change  of  dress. 
Bishop  Asbury,  in  a  sermon  preached  upon  the 
occasion  of  the  death  of  his  long-known  and 
long-loved  friend,  improved  the  opportunity  by 
mentioning  some  further  particulars  of  him,  of 
his  friends,  and  of  the  work  of  God  in  which 
he  and  they  had  labored.  His  observations  are, 
with  the  alteration  and  substitution  of  a  few 
sentences  and  words,  as  follows:  'Martin 
Boehm  had  frequent  and  severe  conflicts  in  his 
own  mind,  produced  by  the  necessity  he  felt 
himself  under  of  offending  his  Menonist  breth- 
ren by  the  zeal  and  doctrines  of  his  ministry: 
some  he  gained;  but  most  of  them  opposed 


240  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

him.  He  had  difficulties  also  with  his  United 
Brethren.  It  was  late  in  life  that  he  joined  the 
Methodists,  to  whom,  long  before,  his  wife  and 
children  had  attached  themselves :  the  head  of 
the  house  had  two  societies  to  pass  through  to 
arrive  at  the  Methodists,  and  his  meek  and 
quiet  spirit  kept  him  back.  Honest  and  unsus- 
pecting, he  had  not  a  strange  face  for  strange 
people.  He  did  not  make  the  Gospel  a  charge 
to  any  one ;  his  reward  was  souls  and  glory. 
His  conversation  was  in  heaven.  Plain  in  dress 
and  manners,  when  age  had  stamped  its  im- 
press of  reverence  upon  him,  he  filled  the  mind 
with  the  noble  idea  of  a  patriarch.  At  the  head 
of  a  family,  a  father,  a  neighbor,  a  friend,  a 
companion,  there  was  one  prominent  feature  of 
his  character  which  distinguished  him  from 
most  men :  it  was  goodness  ;  you  felt  that  he 
was  good.  His  mind  was  strong  and  well 
stored  with  the  learning  necessary  for  one  whose 
aim  is  to  preach  Christ  Avith  apostolic  zeal  and 
simplicity.  The  virtue  of  hospitality  was  prac- 
ticed by  his  family  as  a  matter  of  course ;  and 
in  following  the  impulse  of  their  own  generous 
natures,  the  members  of  his  household  obeyed 
the  oft-repeated  charge  of  their  head  to  open 
his  doors  to  the  houseless,  that  the  weary  might 
be  solaced  and  the  hungry  fed.  And  what  a 
family  was  here  presented  to  an  observant  vis- 
itor !  Here  was  order,  quiet,  occupation.  The 
father,  if  not  absent  on  a  journey  of  five  hun- 
dred miles  in  cold,  hunger,  privations,  and  labor, 
proclaiming  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  to  his 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  241 

dispersed  German  brethren,  might,  by  his  con- 
duct under  his  own  roof,  explain  to  a  careful 
looker-on  the  secret  of  a  parent's  success  in 
rearing  a  family  to  the  duties  of  piety,  to  the 
diligent  and  useful  occupation  of  time,  and  to 
the  uninterrupted  exhibition  of  reflected  and 
reciprocated  love,  esteem,  and  kindness  in  word 
and  deed.  If  it  is  true,  as  is  generally  believ- 
ed, that  the  mother  does  much  toward  forming 
the  character  of  their  children,  it  will  be  readily 
allowed  that  Martin  Boehm  had  an  able  help- 
mate in  his  pious  wife.  The  offspring  of  this 
noble  pair  have  done  them  honor :  the  son  Ja- 
cob, immediately  upon  his  marriage,  took  on 
himself  the  management  of  the  farm,  that  his 
excellent  father  might,  "  without  carefulness," 
extend  his  labors  more  far  and  wide.  A  young- 
er son,  Henry,  is  a  useful  minister  in  the  Meth- 
odist connection,  having  the  advantage  of  being 
able  to  preach  in  English  and  German.  We 
are  willing  to  hope  that  the  children  of  jMartin 
Boehm,  and  his  children's  children  to  the  third 
and  fourth  and  latest  generations,  will  have 
cause  to  thank  God  that  his  house,  for  fifty 
years,  has  been  a  house  for  the  welcome  re- 
ception of  Gospel  ministers,  and  one  in  Avhich 
the  worship  of  God  has  been  uninterruptedly 
preserved  and  practiced !  O  ye  children  and 
grand-children !  O,  rising  generation,  who  have 
so  often  heard  the  prayers  of  this  man  of  God 
in  the  houses  of  your  fathers !  O,  ye  Germans, 
to  whom  he  has  long  preached  the  word  of 
truth,  Martin  Boehm  being  dead  yet  speaketh ! 
21 


242  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

O  hear  his  voice  from  the  grave,  exhorting  you 
to  repent,  to  believe,  and  to  obey.' 

" '  But  our  beloved  brother,  who  has  gone  to 
his  high  reward,  was  not  the  only  laborer  in 
the  vineyard.  Will  it  be  hazarding  too  much 
to  say,  that  in  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  and 
Virginia,  there  were  one  hundred  preachers 
and  twenty  thousand  people  in  the  communion 
of  the  United  Brethren  ?  Many  of  these  faith- 
ful men  have  gone  to  glory ;  and  many  are  yet 
alive  to  preach  to  congregated  thousands.  Pre- 
eminent among  these  is  William  Otterbein,  who 
assisted  in  the  ordination  which  set  apart  your 
speaker  to  the  siiperintendency  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church.  William  Otterbein 
was  regularly  ordained  to  the  ministry  in  the 
German  Presbyterian  Church.  He  is  one  of 
the  best  scholars  and  the  greatest  divines  in 
America.  Why  then  is  he  not  where  he  began  ? 
He  was  irregular.  Alas,  for  us !  the  zealous 
are  necessarily  so  to  those  whose  cry  has  been, 
put  me  into  the  priests'^  office,  that  I  may  eat 
a  morsel  of  bread.  Ostervald  has  observed, 
"  Hell  is  paved  with  the  skulls  of  unfaithful 
ministers."  Such  was  not  Boehm.  Such  is 
not  Otterbein ;  and  now,  his  sun  of  life  is  set- 
ting in  brightness:  behold  the  saint  of  God 
leaning  upon  his  staff,  waiting  for  the  chariots 
of  Israel ! 

"  I  pause  here  to  indulge  in  reflections  upon 
the  past.  Why  was  the  German  reformation 
in  the  middle  states,  that  sprang  up  with 
Boehm,  Otterbein,  and  their  helpers,  not  more 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  243 

perfect  ?  Was  money,  was  labor  made  a  con- 
sideration with  these  primitive  men?  No; 
they  wanted  not  the  one,  and  heeded  not  the 
other.  They  all  had  had  Church  membership, 
as  Presbyterians,  Lutherans,  Moravians,  Bun- 
kers, Menonists.  The  spiritual  men  of  these 
societies  generally  united  with  the  reformers ; 
but  they  brought  along  with  them  the  formali- 
ties, superstitions,  and  peculiar  opinions  of 
religious  education.  There  was  no  master- 
spirit to  rise  up,  and  organize,  and  lead  them. 
Some  of  the  ministers  located,  and  only  added 
to  their  charge,  partial  traveling  labors  ;  and  all 
were  independent.  It  remains  to  be  proved, 
whether  a  reformation,  in  any  country,  or  un- 
der any  circumstances,  can  be  perpetuated 
without  a  w^ell  directed  itinerancy.  But  these 
faithful  men  of  God  were  not  the  less  zealous 
in  declaring  the  truth,  because  they  failed  to 
erect  a  Church  government.  This  was  wished 
for  by  many  ;  and  among  the  first,  perhaps,  to 
discover  the  necessity  of  discipline  and  order, 
was  Benedict  Swoape,  of  Pipe  creek,  Frede- 
rick county:  he  became  Otterbein's  prompter 
as  early  as  1772,  and  called  upon  him  to  trans- 
late the  General  Rules  of  the  Methodists,  and 
explain  to  their  German  brethren,  wandering 
as  sheep  without  a  shepherd,  their  nature,  de- 
sign, and  efficacy.  Otterbein,  one  of  the  wisest 
and  best  of  men,  could  only  approve :  when 
urged  to  put  himself  forward  as  a  leader,  his 
great  modesty  and  diffidence  of  himself,  forbade 
his  acceptance  of  so  high  a  trust.     His  jour- 


244  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

neys,  nevertheless,  were  long,  his  visits  fre- 
quent, his  labors  constant;  so  that,  after  he 
came  to  Baltimore,  he  might  be  called  a  travel- 
ing preacher,  until  age  and  infirmities  compelled 
him  to  be  still.  Surely  I  should  not  forget  his 
helpers.  I  may  mention  once  more  Benedict 
Svvoape:  he  removed  to  Kentucky,  and  preach- 
ed until  near  his  death,  at  eighty  years  of  age. 
There  was  the  brother-in-law  of  Otterbein,  and 
his  great  friend.  Doctor  Hendel,  a  man  of  tal- 
ents, lettered  and  pious,  and  a  great  preacher. 
Hendel  was  first  stationed,  as  a  German  Pres- 
byterian minister,  in  Tulpahocking  and  Lancas- 
ter, and  his  last  labors  were  in  Philadelphia, 
where,  late  in  life,  he  fell  a  victim  to  the  yellow 
fever  of  ]798.  Wagner,  a  pupil  of  Otterbein's, 
was  stationed  in  Little  York,  Pennsylvania,  and 
permanently,  thereafter,  in  Fredericktown,  Ma- 
ryland :  he  was,  we  have  reason  to  hope,  a 
good  and  useful  servant  of  his  Lord.  Henry 
Widener,  first  a  great  sinner,  and  afterward  a 
great  saint,  was  a  native  of  Switzerland ;  as  is 
usual  with  his  educated  countrymen,  he  spoke 
in  German  and  French  with  equal  fluency. 
His  preaching  was  acceptable  and  useful ;  he 
had  for  the  companion  of  his  itinerant  labors, 
John  Hagerty;  and  the  Gospel  of  our  Lord 
was  preached  by  these  men  in  German  and 
English,  to  thousands  between  the  north  and 
south  branches  of  the  Potomac.  Widener  died 
in  peace,  near  Baltimore.  Hagerty  is  still  with 
us.  George  Adam  Gedding,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, has  been  a  most  acceptable  man  in  the 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  245 

work :  he  still  lives  near  Sharpesburg,  in  Ma- 
ryland. Christian  Newcomer,  near  Hagers- 
town,  in  Maryland,  has  labored  and  traveled 
many  years.  His  heart's  desire  has  always 
been  to  effect  a  union  between  his  German 
brethren  and  the  Methodists.  Are  there  many 
that  fear  God  who  have  passed  by  his  house, 
and  have  not  heard  of  or  witnessed  the  piety 
and  hospitality  of  these  Newcomers  ?  Worthy 
people ! 

"  I  will  not  forget  Abraham  Traxall,  now  in 
the  west  of  Pennsylvania:  a  most  acceptable 
preacher  of  method  and  energy.  Henry  and 
Christian  Crumb,  twin-brothers  born,  and  twin- 
souls  in  zeal  and  experience  :  these  were  holy, 
good  men,  and  members  of  both  societies. 
John  Hersay,  formerly  a  Menonist ;  an  Israel- 
ite :  he  is  gone  to  rest.  Abraham  and  Chris- 
tian Hersay ;  occasional  itinerants,  good  men  ; 
busy  and  zealous.  David  Snyder,  possessing 
gifts  to  make  himself  useful.  Neisch  Wanger, 
a  good  man  and  good  preacher.  Most  of  these 
men  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  May  I 
name  Leonard  Harburgh,  once  famous,  gifted, 
laborious,  useful?  He  is  now  only  a  great 
mechanic,  alas !  The  flame  of  German  zeal 
has  moved  westward  with  immigration.  In 
Ohio,  we  have  Andrew  Teller,  and  Benedem, 
men  of  God,  intrusted  with  a  weighty  charge, 
subjecting  them  to  great  labors.  But  our  Ger- 
man fathers  have  lost  many  of  their  spiritual 
children.  Some  have  led  away  disciples  after 
them,  and  established  independent  Churches ; 
21* 


246  ORIGIN   AND    PROGRESS   OF 

some  have  returned  whence  they  or  their  fath- 
ers came;  and  some  have  jomed  the  Dutch 
Baptists.  Our  German  reformers  have  left  no 
journal  or  record,  that  I  have  seen  or  heard  of, 
by  which  we  might  learn  the  extent  of  their 
labors ;  but  from  Tennessee,  where  the  excel- 
lent Baker  labored  and  died,  through  Virginia 
and  Maryland,  into  Pennsylvania,  as  far  east- 
ward as  Bucks  and  Berks  counties,  the  effects 
of  their  ministry  were  happily  seen  and  felt. 
We  feel  ourselves  at  liberty  to  believe  that  these 
German  heralds  of  grace  congregated  one  hun- 
dred thousand  souls  ;  that  they  have  had  twenty 
thousand  in  fellowship  and  communion,  and 
one  hundred  zealous  and  acceptable  preachers. 
"  The  following  paper  was  found,  in  the 
hand-writing  of  Bishop  Asbury,  and,  as  it  is 
believed,  of  the  Rev.  Wm.  Otterbein : 

*  To  the  Rev.  William  Otterbein. 

*  Sir, — Where  were  you  born  ? 

*  Answer.  In   Nassau,  Dillenberg,  in   Ger- 
many. 

*  Question.  How  many  years  had  you  lived 
in  your  native  land  ? 

*  ./5.  Twenty-six  years. 

'  Q.  How  many  years  have  you  resided  in 
America  ? 

'  .^.  Sixty  years,  come  next  August. 
'  Q.  Where  were  you  educated  ? 

*  j9.  In  Herborn,  in  an  academy. 

*  Q.  What  languages  and  sciences  were  you 
taught  ? 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  247 

'  A,  Latin,  Greek,  Hebrew,  philosophy,  and 
divinity. 

'  $.  In  what  order  were  you  set  apart  for 
the  ministry  ? 

'  A.  The  Presbyterian  form  and  order. 

'  $.  What  ministers  assisted  in  your  ordina- 
tion ? 

<  A,  Shrim  and  Klinghoaffer. 

'  $.  Where  have  you  had  charge  of  congre- 
gations in  America  ? 

'  A.  First,  in  Lancaster ;  in  Tulpahocking, 
in  Fredericktown  in  Maryland,  in  Little  York 
in  Pennsylvania,  and  in  Baltimore. 

'  ^.  In  what  parts  of  the  United  States  have 
you  frequently  traveled  through,  in  the  prose- 
cution of  your  ministerial  labors  ? 

^  A.  In  Maryland,  Virginia,  and  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

'  ^.  How  many  years  of  your  life,  since 
you  came  to  this  country,  were  you  in  a  great 
measure  an  itinerant  ? 

'  A.  The  chief  of  the  time,  since  my  coming 
to  this  continent,  but  more  largely  since  coming 
to  Baltimore. 

'  Q.  By  what  means  were  you  brought  to  the 
Gospel  knowledge  of  God  and  our  Savior  ? 

'  A.  By  degrees  was  I  brought  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  truth  while  in  Lancaster. 

'  Q.  Have  you  an  unshaken  confidence  in 
God,  through  Christ,  of  your  justification,  sanc- 
tification,  and  sure  hope  of  glorification  ? 

'  A.  The  Lord  has  been  good  to  me ;  and  no 
doubt  remains  in  my  mind  but  he  will  be  good; 


248  ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OF 

and  I  can  now  praise  him  for  the  hope  of  a 
better  hfe. 

'  Q.  Have  you  ever  kept  any  account  of  the 
seals  to  your  ministry? 

'^.  None. 

'  Q.  Have  you  ever  taken  an  account  of  the 
members  in  the  societies  of  the  United  German 
Brethren  ? 

' ./?.  Only  what  are  in  Baltimore. 

'  Q.  Have  you  taken  any  account  of  the 
brethren  introduced  into  the  ministry  immedi- 
ately by  yourself,  and  sent  out  by  you  ?  Can 
you  give  the  names  of  the  living  and  the  dead  ? 

'  A.  Henry  Widener,  Henry  Becker,  Simon 
Herre,  in  Virginia;  these  are  gone  to  their 
reward.  Newcomer  can  give  the  names  of  the 
living. 

<  Q.  What  ministerial  brethren,  who  have 
been  your  helpers,  can  you  speak  of  with  pleas- 
ure, and  whose  names  are  precious  ? 

'  ^.  Guedick,  Widener,  Herre,  Newcomer, 
and  others. 

'  Q.  What  is  your  mind  concerning  John 
Wesley,  and  the  order  of  Methodists  in  Amer- 
ica? 

'  ^,  I  think  highly  of  John  Wesley.  I  think 
well  of  the  Methodists  in  America. 

'  Q.  What  are  your  views  of  the  present 
state  of  the  Church  of  Christ  in  Europe  and 
America,  and  of  prophecy  ? 

*  ^.  In  continental  Europe  the  Church  has 
lost,  in  a  great  degree,  the  light  of  truth.     In 


THE    GERMAN   MISSIONS.  249 

England  and  America  the  light  still  shines. 
Prophecy  is  hastening  to  its  accomplishment. 

'  Q.  Will  you  give  any  commandment  con- 
cerning your  bones,  and  the  memoirs  of  your 
life?  your  children  in  Christ  will  not  suffer 
you  to  die  unnoticed.' 

"  No  answer  to  this  last  question." 

In  his  Journal,  Bishop  Asbury  makes  the 
following  remarks  respecting  Mr.  Otterbein : 

"  By  request,  I  discoursed  on  the  character 
of  the  angel  of  the  Church  of  Philadelphia,  in 
allusion  to  P.  W.  Otterbein — the  holy,  the 
great  Otterbein — whose  funeral  discourse  it 
was  intended  to  be.  Solemnity  marked  the 
silent  meeting  in  the  German  Church,  where 
were  assembled  the  members  of  our  confer- 
ence and  many  of  the  clergy  of  the  city. 
Forty  years  have  I  known  the  retiring  modesty 
of  this  man  of  God — towering  majestic  above 
his  fellows  in  learning,  wisdom,  and  grace,  yet 
seeking  to  be  known  only  of  God  and  the  peo- 
ple of  God.  He  had  been  sixty  years  a  min- 
ister, fifty  years  a  converted  one." 


THE   END. 


